Benefits of using a placebo
The biggest advantage of using placebo medication when it comes to a new drug is that it fully eliminates the effect that human expectations might have on the outcome. For instance, if researchers expect a particular result, they might give a couple of clues to participants on how to behave, which, as you can imagine, can drastically impact the result of the study.
To eliminate this risk, some scientists apply what we know as a double-blind study, where neither the study participants (or the researchers altogether) are aware of who’s getting the placebo and who isn’t. This way, the risks are minimized.
Placebo-effect outcomes
As placebos might drastically impact how a person feels, studies might show that they don’t have a relevant impact on underlying illnesses. Another relevant review that spanned over 150 clinical trials with placebos discovered that placebos don’t have any clinical effects on illnesses whatsoever.
However, the placebo effect might have a small influence on patient-reported outcomes, especially on perceptions of nausea and pain. Even so, another review that was conducted almost ten years later discovered that in some populations, the placebos and treatments had similar effects. Some authors concluded that placebos, if used in certain situations, might help patients as part of a therapeutic plan.
If you’re interested in finding out more about pills and medications, then we have plenty of other articles that you need to read, such as: 6 Common Medication Side Effects And How To Deal With Them
