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Table 5 What participants tell their patients when using placebos for therapeutic purposes

From: Use of placebo interventions among Swiss primary care providers

 

Use of pure placebos therapeutically (n = 222)

Use of impure placebos therapeutically (n = 208)

User:

35

119*

I tell them

  

... this is a drug/a therapy.

22 (63%)

77 (65%)*

... this is a placebo.

0 (0%)

0 (0%)

... this is a medicine with no specific effect.

4 (11%)

32 (27%)*

I say nothing.

9 (26%)

10 (8%)

Nonuser:

  

I never use placebos for therapeutic purposes.

187

89*

  1. Only one answer allowed, *p < 0.001 vs. pure placebo by McNemar's χ2 test.
  2. Percentages refer to the number of users.