The meaning of it all: evaluating knowledge of Minimal Clinically Important Difference (MCID) among chiropractic...

Patient-reported outcome measures are frequently used to monitor patient progress during chiropractic care, yet student interns utilizing such assessments are unfamiliar with what magnitude of change (MCID) is considered beneficial to the patient.

This work seeks to determine chiropractic intern knowledge of MCID.

A five-item survey was administered to 104 chiropractic student interns.

Nearly one-third of the interns correctly defined the MCID acronym, and approximately one-third of the interns knew at least one MCID value for the outcome assessments in the EHR. Surprisingly, 20% of the interns reported knowledge of at least one MCID value, but answered incorrectly pertaining to the MCID acronym.

Student interns value patient perception, but have limited knowledge of MCID values. Addressing this gap will improve their understanding of patient progress and inform their treatment decisions both in the outpatient clinic and in their practices following graduation.