The ethics of the placebo in clinical practice

While discussions of the ethics of the placebo have usually dealt with their use in a research context, the authors address here the question of the placebo in clinical practice. It is argued, firstly, that the placebo can be an effective treatment. Secondly, it is demonstrated that its use does not...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of medical ethics
Authors: Lichtenberg, P. (Author) ; Heresco-Levy, U. (Author) ; Nitzan, U. (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: BMJ Publ. 2004
In: Journal of medical ethics
Online Access: Volltext (JSTOR)
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Summary:While discussions of the ethics of the placebo have usually dealt with their use in a research context, the authors address here the question of the placebo in clinical practice. It is argued, firstly, that the placebo can be an effective treatment. Secondly, it is demonstrated that its use does not always entail deception. Finally guidelines are presented according to which the placebo may be used for clinical purposes. It is suggested that in select cases, use of the placebo may even be morally imperative. The argument is illustrated by three case vignettes.
ISSN:1473-4257
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal of medical ethics
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1136/jme.2002.002832