Predictors of placebo treatment acceptability: participant demographics, perceived knowledge, and efficacy

Abstract

There is significant debate among healthcare providers, researchers, and ethicists concerning the ethics and acceptability of using placebo treatments to alleviate clinical pain. Although a contested issue, empirical evidence demonstrates that placebo analgesia effects can be large and clinically meaningful, with well-defined psychological and neurobiological mechanisms. Recent evidence suggests that there may be ethically permissible placebo clinical applications, as studies have demonstrated that patients may be open to placebo interventions under certain contexts.