Abstract
The effectiveness of many medical interventions hinges in part on the 'placebo effect,' a person's self-healing power that is stimulated by his or her belief in medical treatments. Health professionals can incite that same effect by giving the patient a chemically inactive pill without revealing its true nature. This strategy is ethically problematic because it conflicts with the patient's right to autonomy. However, the alternative - prescribing a 'real' drug - entails harms too, such as unpleasant or dangerous side effects, and more encompassing problems such as microbial drug resistance. This article examines whether placebo treatment is a form of patient deception and, if so, in what circumstances - if ever - such deceit can be justified.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics |
| Publisher | Elsevier Inc. |
| Pages | 453-460 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780123739322 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 1 2012 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Social Sciences(all)
Cite this
Placebo Treatment. / Welie, J. V.M.
Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics. Elsevier Inc., 2012. p. 453-460.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
}
TY - CHAP
T1 - Placebo Treatment
AU - Welie, J. V.M.
PY - 2012/1/1
Y1 - 2012/1/1
N2 - The effectiveness of many medical interventions hinges in part on the 'placebo effect,' a person's self-healing power that is stimulated by his or her belief in medical treatments. Health professionals can incite that same effect by giving the patient a chemically inactive pill without revealing its true nature. This strategy is ethically problematic because it conflicts with the patient's right to autonomy. However, the alternative - prescribing a 'real' drug - entails harms too, such as unpleasant or dangerous side effects, and more encompassing problems such as microbial drug resistance. This article examines whether placebo treatment is a form of patient deception and, if so, in what circumstances - if ever - such deceit can be justified.
AB - The effectiveness of many medical interventions hinges in part on the 'placebo effect,' a person's self-healing power that is stimulated by his or her belief in medical treatments. Health professionals can incite that same effect by giving the patient a chemically inactive pill without revealing its true nature. This strategy is ethically problematic because it conflicts with the patient's right to autonomy. However, the alternative - prescribing a 'real' drug - entails harms too, such as unpleasant or dangerous side effects, and more encompassing problems such as microbial drug resistance. This article examines whether placebo treatment is a form of patient deception and, if so, in what circumstances - if ever - such deceit can be justified.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85069219526&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85069219526&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/B978-0-12-373932-2.00161-7
DO - 10.1016/B978-0-12-373932-2.00161-7
M3 - Chapter
AN - SCOPUS:85069219526
SN - 9780123739322
SP - 453
EP - 460
BT - Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics
PB - Elsevier Inc.
ER -