Application of minimal clinically important difference in economic evaluation
LI Yan
HU Hong-fei
ZHAO Min
WANG Di
GAO Wei
LI Hong-chao
Abstract：Objective:To systematically summarize the application of minimal clinically important difference(MCID)in economic evaluations.Methods:A computer-based search was conducted in the databases,inluding Embase,PubMed,Web of Science,The Cochrane Library,and CNKI,until November 2024 for economic evaluations involving MCID.Two researchers independently screened the literature,extracted data,and assessed the quality of the included studies.A qualitative systematic review was conducted,focusing on study design and methodology.Results:Sixteen economic evaluations,all based on individual-level data,were included with generally high quality.The application of MCID in these studies was categorized into four approaches.①Using MCID as a health outcome measure to calculate the cost per unit of MCID gained.②Employing the proportion of patients achieving MCID as the health outcome measure to determine the cost per 1%increase in the MCID achievement rate.③ Defining treatment outcomes based on MCID and conducting economic evaluations on patients with different outcomes.④ Calculating the minimum cost effective difference(MCED)using methods derived from MCID.Conclusion:Current evidence indicates that MCID is being applied in economic evaluations;however,a unified methodological framework has yet to be established.
Keywords：minimal clinically important differenceeconomic evaluationsystematic review
Publication Date：2025-12-15
Online Publishing Date：2026-08-14(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：9( 2517-2525 )