Minimally important change determined by a visual method integrating an anchor-based and a distribution-based approach

Minimally important changes (MIC) in scores help interpret results from health status instruments. Various distribution-based and anchor-based approaches have been proposed to assess MIC.

To describe and apply a visual method, called the anchor-based MIC distribution method, which integrates both approaches.

Using an anchor, patients are categorized as persons with an important improvement, an important deterioration, or without important change. For these three groups the distribution...