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The Baseline (BDI) and Transition (TDI) Dyspnea Indexes provide interview-based measurements of breathlessness related to activities of daily living. The BDI is a discriminative instrument that includes specific criteria for each of three components at a single point in time. The TDI is an evaluative instrument that includes specific criteria for each of three components to measure changes from a baseline state. Observational studies have shown that patients with COPD generally experience a gradual progression of breathing difficulty as measured by the TDI over time. Randomized controlled trials have demonstrated excellent measurement characteristics of the TDI; these include responsiveness (ability to detect change) and construct validity (a change in the TDI correlates with changes in other variables). Supporting evidence for one unit as the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) of the TDI is based on: expert preference; use of the physician's global evaluation score as an anchor; and distribution estimates (standard error of measurement and 0.5 of the standard deviation). As an alternative to the interview process, self-administered computerized (SAC) versions of the BDI/TDI have been developed to provide direct patient-reported ratings of dyspnea. To further establish the MCID of the interview-administered and/or the SAC TDI, we recommend that a patient's report of global ratings of change by used as an independent standard or anchor.
Mahler et al. (Sat,) studied this question.