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[Placebo, an underestimated ally]
C Cedraschi1, J Desmeules, V Piguet
1Service de Médecine Interne de Réhabilitation Beau-Séjour, HUG, Genève. christine.cedraschi@hcuge.ch
Revue Medicale Suisse
|August 6, 2011
Summary
Patient expectations significantly influence treatment outcomes, impacting subjective results through placebo effects. Research highlights how beliefs about pain, illness, and surgery can modulate these effects.
Area of Science:
- Psychosomatic Medicine
- Clinical Psychology
- Medical Sociology
Context:
- Growing recognition of patient-centered outcomes.
- Importance of patient beliefs and expectations in healthcare.
- Understanding the placebo effect in medical treatments.
Purpose:
- To explore the influence of patient expectations on treatment outcomes.
- To investigate the relationship between expectations and placebo effects.
- To examine the role of surgery in mediating placebo responses.
Summary:
- Patient views, including beliefs about pain and illness, are crucial.
- Patient expectations significantly impact subjective outcomes.
- Expectations mediate and modulate placebo effects, particularly in surgical contexts.
Impact:
- Highlights the psychological dimensions of healing.
- Suggests potential for enhancing therapeutic interventions through expectation management.
- Underscores the complex interplay between patient psychology and medical procedures like surgery.
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