Posted by linkadge on May 5, 2007, at 9:56:32
In reply to Re: Placebo effect, posted by Ines on May 5, 2007, at 9:19:10
But what if some of these patients complaints were genuine?
What if a patient was experiencing the beginning of a more serious disease that could perhaps be brushed off with a placebo for a while.
I suppose the misconception is that a disease that responds to a placebo is no disease at all, but this is not true. The placebo effect is not passive, it is infact an active employment of internal disease fighting resources.
Suppose an elderly patient comes in with general weakness and milaise. What if they are infact having cardiac problems?? The doctor gives them a placebo, which they are obviously going to refill if they believe it is geniuinly helping them, but their cardiac condition is not being adressed. They are going to get worse simply because the doctor is too lazy to do a more thorough check.
The patient might simply be complaining less since he feels "well, I've visited a doctor which was the right thing to do, and this is what the doctor prescribed". Ie they feel the problem is at least being adressed (which it isn't).Linkadge
poster:linkadge
thread:755317
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070502/msgs/756012.html