| Why use placebos in clinical trials? A narrative review of the methodological literature. | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 10729687 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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Researchers have a number of different options for their choice of control or comparison intervention in randomized trials. We surveyed the methodological literature looking for reasons why a researcher might choose to administer a placebo (i.e., a mimic intervention) to control subjects. Two implicit assumptions were that the issue of placebo is pertinent only to drug trials and that the nonplacebo effect of a treatment is the "real" or "true" effect. Explicit reasons given in the literature for the use of placebos were facilitating blinding and controlling for the placebo effect. The importance of the latter was often inadequately argued. Reasons to avoid placebos in controlled trials, other than ethics and feasibility, are that placebos do not inform real decisions, and may interfere with accurate estimation of effect size and with nonspecific aspects of treatment. Placebo-controlled trials have high internal validity but may be difficult to apply to clinical practice; the situation is reversed for trials without placebo control. |
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Authors:
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A J Vickers; A J de Craen |
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Publication Detail:
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Type: Journal Article; Review |
Journal Detail:
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Title: Journal of clinical epidemiology Volume: 53 ISSN: 0895-4356 ISO Abbreviation: J Clin Epidemiol Publication Date: 2000 Feb |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2000-04-07 Completed Date: 2000-04-07 Revised Date: 2007-11-15 |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 8801383 Medline TA: J Clin Epidemiol Country: ENGLAND |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: 157-61 Citation Subset: IM |
Affiliation:
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Integrative Medicine Service and Biostatistics Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 11215, USA. vickersa@mskcc.org |
Export Citation:
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| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
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Double-Blind Method Epidemiologic Research Design Humans Placebos / therapeutic use* Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / methods*, standards |
| Chemical | |
Reg. No./Substance:
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0/Placebos |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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