There is something very empowering about the placebo effect and the idea that we can heal ourselves. For decades, we've known about the placebo effect, but we've been unable to use it ethically in healthcare. One of the primary obstacles to using placebos in healthcare, was informed consent. It was thought that placebos necessarily required deception - the patient had to believe it would work. However, renowned placebo researcher - Ted Kaptchuk - realised that no one had ever put that theory to the test. So he began a research programme into identifying if people could respond to placebos even if they knew they were taking placebos. The results have changed how we think about placebos in healthcare.
“The Endogenous Pharmacy” – Luana Colloca
Did you know that placebo effects and nocebo effect can be evoked without a placebo; or how about the unspoken ethics code when it comes to prescribing placebos? In a talk by Dr Luana Colloca we learn about the conflicts, ethics and future use of the placebo effect in clinical practice. Here, we summarise some of the key ideas in Dr Colloca's talk.
The Secret Prescription
In 2013, a survey of UK primary care physicians revealed that 97% of them had used placebos in their career, with 77% of them using placebos at least once a week! We take a look at this and what it means for both patients and doctors.
The Curious Case of Mr Wright
Mr Wright is a case dating back to 1957, in which a patient supposedly made a miraculous recovery via placebo, before relapsing straight-away upon discovering his treatment was a sham. Placebo researchers everywhere wish this case were true, but current research into the placebo effect throws the shadow of doubt on to this incredible story.
The essay that started it all
On a rainy February day, I received an e-mail from my university about the St Gallen Wings of Excellence Award. This award, gave you the opportunity to win an all expenses paid trip to the St Gallen Symposium and all you had to do was write an essay on the theme of Breaking the Status Quo: Your Disruptive … Continue reading The essay that started it all