EXAMPLE 10 Doctors and placebos

A placebo is a dummy treatment like a salt pill that has no direct effect on a patient but may bring about a response because patients expect it to. Do academic physicians who maintain private practices sometimes give their patients placebos? A Web survey of doctors in internal medicine departments at Chicago-area medical schools was possible because almost all doctors had listed email addresses.

An email was sent to each doctor explaining the purpose of the study, promising anonymity, and giving an individual a Web link for response. Result: 45% of respondents said they sometimes use placebos in their clinical practice.