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I’ve suggested that the main function of medicine is to show that we care. I’ve suggested that we spend a lot on medicine to signal our care, and that this can explain the placebo effect, wherein the mere appearance of care increases health. Some apparently confirming evidence:
Parkinson’s Disease patients secretly treated with a placebo instead of their regular medication performed better when told they were receiving a more expensive version of the “drug,” … While most people think of a placebo as a sugar pill that replaces a real medication, the impact more commonly comes from “the engagement between patients and clinicians,” in particular the way doctors create expectations that their efforts will help, Kaptchuk said. That includes a good relationship between doctor and patient; certain medical rituals, such as taking blood pressure and a medical history; and the “color, shape, number and cost” of the placebo drug. (more; the study)
Now this study is hardly definitive – it had only twelve subjects, and the placebo difference is only significant at the 3.4% level. But I guess that it will be verified in larger trials.
Placebos Show Care
Agreeing with Istvan here. I don't find this study surprising at all. The placebo effect is certainly real. It has been demonstrated over and over. And the placebo effect could be simply an excellent example of the power of confirmation bias and selective perception. But why is this placebo effect so powerful? Being in the medical field myself, I have had a discussion on this topic with other medical professionals. We as a society really don't know much about how disease, immunity, healing, and other physiological processes work.There is however an established correlation between stress levels and various hormones and biochemicals. Perhaps one of the most effective weapons we have in our current healthcare arsenal is (sadly) the ability to somehow guide people towards letting their bodies best able to deal with whatever condition they incur. But then the ethics of cost come up. Will the placebo be less effective if it is labeled a "sugar pill" or "sham treatment" and is given at minimal charge? For most people, yes.
You think, then, that's there's a widespread practice of prescribing placebos, which evades detection by patients and discussion by the public because no one has an interest in challenging it and patients are gullible about accepting arcane labels?