Placebo prescription and empathy of the physician: A cross-sectional study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Empathy in the patient-physician relationship is a major component in an effective placebo treatment, as in every medical treatment. Understanding the role of empathy of the physician in the placebo effect may help dissect some of the context variables responsible for the effectiveness of the placebo.

Objectives

To determine the frequency of placebo prescription, doctors' beliefs, motivation, and attitudes to placebos in general practice in northern Portugal and to test the association between placebo prescription and physician empathy.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2014 and January 2015 among general practice specialists and interns from 14 health centres in a northern Portuguese health region. The self-report questionnaire

SUBMITTER: Braga-Simoes J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5774274 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature