MCID

Medical abbreviation · Rehabilitation

MCID stands for Minimal clinically important difference, a rehabilitation abbreviation.

Smallest change in a score that patients would perceive as meaningful or that would change management. It helps decide whether improvement on an outcome measure matters, not just whether it is statistically significant.

Example: LEFS gain of 11 exceeds MCID; goals met.

Usage notes

The concept was described by Roman Jaeschke and colleagues in 1989. MCIDs differ between populations and calculation methods. A related term, MDC (minimal detectable change), is the smallest change beyond measurement error.

Related abbreviations

More rehabilitation abbreviations

• LEFS – Lower Extremity Functional Scale
• LOB – Loss of balance
• LSO – Lumbosacral orthosis
• LTG – Long-term goal
• Max A – Maximal assist
• MBSS – Modified barium swallow study
• MFR – Myofascial release
• Min A – Minimal assist
• MMT – Manual muscle testing
• Mod A – Moderate assist
• Mod I – Modified independent
• NDD – National Dysphagia Diet

See all 98 rehabilitation abbreviations →

Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.

This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.