RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 What do we really know about the deliberate use of placebos in clinical practice?
JF Journal of Medical Ethics
JO J Med Ethics
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Institute of Medical Ethics
SP 403
OP 405
DO 10.1136/medethics-2011-100420
VO 38
IS 7
A1 Pekka Louhiala
YR 2012
UL http://jme.bmj.com/content/38/7/403.abstract
AB The aim of the present study was to explore the use and understanding of the concepts ‘placebo’ and ‘placebo effect’ in 12 empirical studies that have addressed the prescription of placebos by doctors in clinical practice. There were great differences in the general methodology and in the definitions (or lack of any definition) of the basic concepts in these 12 studies. Therefore, the results reflect different things. They tell us a little about the use of ‘pure placebos’, more about the use of ‘impure placebos’, but most of all, they tell us about the conceptual confusion in this area.