The use of placebo interventions in medical practice--a national questionnaire survey of Danish clinicians.
The authors sent a questionnaire to 772 randomly selected Danish clinicians and asked them about their use of placebo interventions. Sixty-five percent responded. Among the general practitioners, 86% (95% confidence interval 81-91) reported to have used placebo interventions at least once, and 48% (41-55) to have used placebo interventions more than ten times, within the last year. Hospital-based doctors and private specialists reported to have used placebo interventions less frequently (p < .001). The most important reason for the use of placebo interventions was to avoid a confrontation with the patient. Typical placebos were antibiotics for viral infections. Approximately 30% (28-36) of the clinicians believed in an effect of placebo interventions on objective outcomes, and 46% (42-50) found clinical placebo interventions generally ethically acceptable.
Hróbjartsson
Asbjørn
A
Nordic Cochrane Centre, University of Copenhagen.
Norup
Michael
M
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003718:Denmark; D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D005194:Family Practice / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D015990:Placebo Effect; D010919:Placebos / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D010919:Placebos