How often do general practitioners use placebos and non-specific interventions? Systematic review and meta-analysis of surveys

PloS One
Klaus LindeChristoph Werner

Abstract

In a systematic review and meta-analysis we summarize the available evidence on how frequently general practitioners/family physicians (GPs) use pure placebos (e.g., placebo pills) and non-specific therapies (sometimes referred to as impure placebos; e.g., antibiotics for common cold). We searched Medline, PubMed and SCOPUS up to July 2018 to identify cross-sectional quantitative surveys among GPs. Outcomes of primary interest were the percentages of GPs having used any placebo, pure placebos or non-specific therapies at least once in their career, at least once in the last year, at least monthly or at least weekly. Outcomes were described as proportions and pooled with random-effects meta-analysis. Of 674 publications, 16 studies from 13 countries with a total of 2.981 participating GPs (range 27 to 783) met the inclusion criteria. The percentage of GPs having used any form of placebo at least once in their career ranged from 29% to 97%, in the last year at least once from 46% to 95%, at least monthly from 15% to 89%, and at least weekly from 1% to 75%. The use of non-specific therapies by far outnumbered the use of pure placebo. For example, the proportion of GPs using pure placebos at least monthly varied between 2% and 15% ...Continue Reading

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May 31, 2020·British Journal of Health Psychology·Michael H BernsteinCharlotte R Blease
Aug 11, 2020·Frontiers in Psychology·Michael H BernsteinCharlotte Blease
Feb 26, 2019·Health Psychology Open·Doug I HardmanFelicity L Bishop
Jun 9, 2020·Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care·Ravinder Singh AujlaAvinash Kumar
Jan 12, 2021·Pain Research & Management : the Journal of the Canadian Pain Society = Journal De La Société Canadienne Pour Le Traitement De La Douleur·Tatsunori IkemotoMasataka Deie
Apr 2, 2021·Frontiers in Psychiatry·Marco AnnoniCharlotte Blease
May 19, 2021·The Journal of Pain : Official Journal of the American Pain Society·Michael H BernsteinFrancesca L Beaudoin
Sep 4, 2021·Advances in Therapy·Giovanni Iolascon, Antimo Moretti
Dec 31, 2020·Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics·Doug HardmanGiulio Ongaro

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Software Mentioned

Scopus
ggplot2
Google Scholar
R
metaphor

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