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LONDON — About half of U.S. doctors in a new
survey say they regularly give patients placebo treatments —
usually drugs or vitamins that won’t really help their condition.
And many of these doctors aren’t honest with their
patients about what they are doing, the survey found.
That contradicts advice from the American Medical
Association, which recommends doctors use treatments
with the full knowledge of their patients.
“It’s a disturbing finding,” said Franklin Miller, director of
the research ethics program at the U.S. National Institutes
Health and one of the study authors. “There is an element of deception here which is contrary to the principle of informed
consent.”
The study was being published online in Friday’s issue of BMJ, formerly the British Medical Journal.
Most doctors used actual medicines as a placebo treatment: 41% used painkillers, 38% used vitamins, 13% used antibiotics, 13% used sedatives, 3% used saline injections, and 2% used sugar pills.
However, experts don’t know if the placebo effect would be undermined if patients were explicitly told they were getting a dummy pill.
usually drugs or vitamins that won’t really help their condition.
And many of these doctors aren’t honest with their
patients about what they are doing, the survey found.
That contradicts advice from the American Medical
Association, which recommends doctors use treatments
with the full knowledge of their patients.