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Placebo effects in medicine: A bibliometric analysis
Katja Boehm1, Bettina Berger1, Thomas Ostermann2
1Center for Integrative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Witten/Herdecke, Herdecke 58239, Germany.
JRSM Open
|January 5, 2017
Summary
This bibliometric analysis reveals that research on placebo and context effects is consolidating into a specialized field. Despite its multidimensional nature, the field is shrinking, with a growing focus on experimental reproducibility.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare Research
- Psychology
- Medical Science
Background:
- The study of placebo and context effects spans multiple healthcare disciplines.
- Understanding these effects is crucial for interpreting clinical trial outcomes.
- A comprehensive overview of the research landscape is needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a bibliometric analysis of publications on placebo and context effects over 35 years.
- To organize the publication landscape and identify trends in research focus and origin.
- To assess the evolution and current state of research in this field.
Main Methods:
- Bibliometric analysis of publications from PubMed database from inception to November 2011.
- Inclusion of previously published articles and their participant data.
- Analysis of publication characteristics including condition, country, year, journal, author count, and focus.
Main Results:
- Research on placebo and context effects is becoming more homogenous and specialized.
- The field is characterized by a shrinking number of publishing researchers.
- There is an increasing trend towards reproducing placebo effects in experimental settings.
Conclusions:
- The complexity of placebo effects may be challenging to fully capture within randomized controlled trial settings.
- The consolidation of research suggests a maturing, specialized field of study.
- Further investigation into the nuances of placebo and context effects is warranted.
Keywords:
Context effectsbibliometric analysismeaning responsenon-specific effectsplacebo effectsreviewMore Related Videos
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