4 ms·
In clinical trials, pure placebos are very rarely used (only in mild conditions or where no treatment exists). Commonly novel therapies are compared against the
by Engineering-MD 8y ago
In clinical trials, pure placebos are very rarely used (only in mild conditions or where no treatment exists). Commonly novel therapies are compared against the current treatment of choice.
- michaelscott 8y agoI was about to ask how ethical it could be to give a pure placebo in cases as serious as heart failure, when simply telling the patient (or the patient's family) that they received some other more conventional procedure should produce similar results.
- nine_k 8y agoI think this is never done. I suppose both groups receive two therapies, one of them being the best available therapy for the condition, and the other either the new therapy, or a placebo. This requires new and old therapies to be compatible, though.
- ceejayoz 8y agoStudies will also be suspended if it becomes clear that one treatment is so obviously better as to be unethical to continue with the other.