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Estimating the minimum important change in the 15D scores
Abstract
Purpose To facilitate the interpretation of empirical results produced by the 15D, a generic, preference-based instrument for measuring health-related quality of life (HRQoL), a subjective five-category global assessment scale (GAS) was used as an external anchor to determine the minimum important change (MIC) in the 15D scores.Methods Altogether 4,903 hospital patients representing sixteen disease entities and having the 15D score at baseline repeated the HRQoL assessment at 6 months after treatment and answered the question: compared to the situation before treatment, my overall health status is now (1) much better, (2) slightly better, (3) much the same, (4) slightly worse, (5) much worse. Regression analysis was used to estimate the MIC for improvement/deterioration, defined as the lower/upper limit of 99.9 % confidence interval of the regression coefficient, standardized for baseline HRQoL, for categories (2) and (4), respectively, and confirmed by ROC curve analysis.Results The limits or intervals for classifying the changes of 15D scores into GAS categories were >.035 for (1), .015-.035 for (2),>-.015 and<.015 for (3), -.035--.015 for (4) and <-.035 for (5). The lower/upper limits of ±.015 for categories (2) and (4) can be regarded as the generic MIC thresholds for improvement/deterioration, respectively.Conclusions The generic MICs for the change of 15D scores are ±.015. Follow-up studies using the 15D should report the mean change in the 15D score, its statistical significance, relationship to the MIC, and the distribution of the changes of the 15D scores into the five categories.
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“It has been suggested that the generic minimal important change is ±0.015 and a large change is ±0.035 [22].”
From Improved cardiorespiratory fitness after occupational rehabilitation in merged diagnostic groups (2018) · cites this paper as [22]
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“The clinical importance of this change is uncertain, but it is in the area of cut-off suggested as a minimum important change [30].”
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“From a clinical perspective, the minimum change has been considered to be between ≥ 0.015 (Alanne et al., 2015) and ≥ 0.03 (Helmi¨o et al., 2011), so that an individual can notice the difference in HRQoL themselves.”
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“The MIC for the 15D instrument has previously been estimated at ± 0.015 [25].”
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“…ranges from 1 (the highest possible quality of life) to 0 (being death). according to alanne et al., the minimum clinically important change in the total 15D score is estimated to be ± 0.015, which represents the minimal difference that is perceptible to people on average (alanne et al., 2015).”
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Metadata
- Authors
- Alanne, S., Roine, R. P., Räsänen, P., Vainiola, T., & Sintonen, H.
- Affiliations
- Seinäjoen Keskussairaala (FI)
- University of Eastern Finland (FI)
- Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa (FI)
- University of Helsinki (FI)
- Corresponding author
- Sintonen, Harri
- Venue
- Quality of Life Research
- Published
- 2014-08-22
- Volume
- 24
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 599-606
- ISSN
- 0962-9343 (ISSN-L)
- 1573-2649
- OpenAlex
- W2023078845
- Cited by
- 231
- References
- 31
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 19 · 2022: 18 · 2021: 38 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 26 · 2018: 16 · 2017: 20 · 2016: 23 · 2015: 11 · 2014: 1
- FWCI
- 45.59
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Quality of Life Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › Health Systems, Economic Evaluations, Quality of Life
- Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › Economic and Environmental Valuation
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation › Medical Practices and Rehabilitation
- Keywords
- 15D, health-related quality of life, Global Assessment Scale, self-rated health, hospitalized patients
- MeSH terms
- Female, Finland, Follow-Up Studies, Health Status, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Quality of Life, Surveys and Questionnaires, Research Design, ROC Curve, Models, Statistical
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