@article{16503,
  author = {Ferreira P. and Nascimento D. and Ostelo R. and Herbert Rob and Latimer Jane and Smeets R. and Ferreira Manuela},
  title = {A critical review of methods used to determine the smallest worthwhile effect of interventions for low back pain},
  abstract = {<p>
OBJECTIVE: To critically and systematically review methods used to estimate the smallest worthwhile effect of interventions for nonspecific low back pain. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: A computerized search was conducted of MEDLINE, CINAHL, LILACS, and EMBASE up to May 2011. Studies were included if they were primary reports intended to measure the smallest worthwhile effect of a health intervention (although they did not need to use this terminology) for nonspecific low back pain. RESULTS: The search located 31 studies, which provided a total of 129 estimates of the smallest worthwhile effect. The estimates were given a variety of names, including the Minimum Clinically Important Difference, Minimum Important Difference, Minimum Worthwhile Reductions, and Minimum Important Change. Most estimates were obtained using anchor- or distribution-based methods. These methods are not (or not directly) based on patients' perceptions, are not intervention-specific, and are not formulated in terms of differences in outcomes with and without intervention. CONCLUSION: The methods used to estimate the smallest worthwhile effect of interventions for low back pain have important limitations. We recommend that the benefit-harm trade-off method be used to estimate the smallest worthwhile effects of intervention because it overcomes these limitations.
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},
  year = {2012},
  journal = {Journal of Clinical Epidemiology},
  volume = {65},
  edition = {2011/10/22},
  number = {3},
  pages = {253-61},
  isbn = {1878-5921 (Electronic)0895-4356 (Linking)},
  note = {Ferreira, Manuela LHerbert, Robert DFerreira, Paulo HLatimer, JaneOstelo, Raymond WNascimento, Dafne PSmeets, Rob JReviewUnited StatesJournal of clinical epidemiologyJ Clin Epidemiol. 2012 Mar;65(3):253-61. Epub 2011 Oct 19.},
  language = {eng},
}