Is It Always Unethical to Use a Placebo in a Clinical Trial?
Open Access
- 29 March 2005
- journal article
- Published by Public Library of Science (PLoS) in PLoS Medicine
- Vol. 2 (3) , e72
- https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.0020072
Abstract
Placebos are used in trials to conceal whether a treatment is being given or not and hence to control for the psychosomatic effects of offering treatment. Placebo-controlled trials are controversial. Critics of such trials argue that if a proven effective therapy exists, a placebo should not be used. But proponents argue that placebo trials are still crucial to prove the efficacy and safety of many treatments.Keywords
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