Authors: Pejcic N, Kutlesic M, Milic V, et al.
Cureus 17(7): e87703, July 2025. | doi:10.7759/cureus.87703
This secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial evaluated the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) and patient acceptable symptom state (PASS) in numeric rating scale (NRS) pain scores after total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH). The MCID was calculated using three distribution-based methods and averaged to a threshold of 1.5 NRS points, indicating the smallest change patients perceive as meaningful. The PASS, determined through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, was identified at an NRS score of ≤3.5, correlating with a high probability of patient satisfaction.
These findings suggest that a reduction of at least 1.5 NRS points is required for patients to notice meaningful pain relief, and an NRS score of ≤3.5 represents an acceptable symptom state post-TAH. The study emphasizes the importance of integrating patient-centered outcome measures like MCID and PASS into postoperative pain management to align clinical targets with patient expectations.
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Authors: Pejcic N, Kutlesic M, Milic V, et al. 2025.
Cureus 17(7): e87703. doi:10.7759/cureus.87703
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