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Harnessing the Placebo Effect in Clinical Practice
1Department of Psychology, Endicott College, 376 Hale Street, Beverly, MA 01915, USA; Program in Placebo Studies, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, 330 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
Abstract:
This article explores methods to ethically harness the placebo effect in clinical practice, emphasizing the importance of context, the therapeutic relationship, and patient expectations. It discusses 5 strategies: improving clinician-patient interactions, open-label placebo, conditioned open-label placebo, personalized "n-of-1" trials, and informing patients about nocebo effects to reduce side effects. While evidence supports their efficacy, only the nocebo-informed approach is currently feasible for routine use, due to fewer barriers. The article highlights the potential of these methods to enhance treatment outcomes ethically and calls for systemic support, including from pharmaceutical and health care institutions, to facilitate broader adoption.
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