Defined term · Statistics and inference
Minimal clinically important difference
The smallest change in an outcome that a patient would identify as meaningful. Frequently contested and frequently unavailable, and the Institute names the source of any value it uses.
§1Minimal clinically important difference
§1.1Also known as
MCID
§1.2Category
Statistics and inference — Terms describing how effects are estimated and how uncertainty is expressed.
§1.3Related terms
- Effect size — The magnitude of a difference, expressed on the scale of the outcome or standardised. A significant result with an effect size below the minimal clinically important…
Compound Evidence Institute · CEI-GT-082 · https://compoundevidence.com/glossary/minimal-clinically-important-difference/ · retrieved 30 July 2026