Minimal important difference (MID) and patient acceptable symptom state (PASS) for subacromial pain syndrome: A paper with MAXIMAL importance to FICEBO!

Back in 2004, when designing the FIMPACT trial, we discovered the lack of established MID estimates for outcome instruments in patients with subacromial pain. 15 years later, publications on MID estimates for shoulder outcome instruments are still rare. So, we decided to tackle the problem ourselves.

We reinforced the FIMPACT team with statistician Pasi Aronen, and people familiar with concept: Jarkko Jokihaara, Clare Ardern, Teemu Karjalainen and Tuomas Lähdeoja. Especially Tuomas, Clare and Teemu possessed proven experience with this concept as they have just published a BMJ Rapid Rec -paper, a Cochrane systematic review and the linked systematic review of MIDs for improvement in shoulder condition patient-reported outcomes. With this much experience combined with our unique FIMPACT, the article was soon finished and is now published in BMC Medical Research Methodology.

Now we have a dedicated MID group and hopefully in the future, we have set our sight on providing estimates for other conditions as well…

Maximal importance?

Well, this paper is not just a solid publication but also possesses some importance specific to FICEBO, as it was the missing piece for two FICEBO PhD students – Drs. Kanto and Lähdeoja now have the required papers to finish their PhD projects!