The placebo effect

Question 1

what is a placebo

Answer 1

any therapeutic procedure which has an effect on a
patient, symptom, syndrome or disease, but which is objectively without specific
activity for the condition being treated

Question 2

what is a nocebo effect

Answer 2

a negative effect on health due to negative expectations of treatment

Question 3

what is the placebo effect

Answer 3

beneficial effect produced by a placebo drug or treatment, which cannot be attributed to the properties of the placebo itself, and must therefore be due to the patient’s belief in that treatment

Question 4

what is the hawthorne effect

Answer 4

people change their behaviour when they know they are being watched by researchers

Question 5

what is the main ethical objection to the use of placebos

Answer 5

involves deception

Question 6

what is an advantage of placebos

Answer 6

no side effects which is often very important to patients

reduced benefits for reduced risks

Question 7

what criteria are suggested by the authors for prescribing placebos

Answer 7

there is evidence that a placebo may be useful in the given situation
placebo treatment is regularly reviewed
there is no agreed upon gold standard treatment
treatment is initiated after full discussion with the patient
the patient is made aware of any alternatives
the patient gives consent

Question 8

what reasons support the use of placebos in clinical practice

Answer 8

unethical to withhold something that may have a positive effect
useful when there is no gold standard treatment
have lower side effects