Placebos are super important in clinical trials. They help researchers see if a new drug really works.
Here’s how it works:
Blinding: In about 70% of trials, both the doctors and the participants don’t know who is getting the real drug and who is getting the placebo. This is called double-blind and it helps reduce bias, or unfair influence.
Effect Size: Sometimes, placebos can work really well! They account for about 30% of treatment effects for certain health issues. This means that people can feel better just because they think they are getting treatment.
Outcome Measures: Using placebos helps us figure out if the drug is truly helping or if people are just imagining the effects because they want to feel better.
Overall, using placebos makes evidence-based medicine stronger. It gives us reliable data, which helps doctors make better decisions for their patients.
Placebos are super important in clinical trials. They help researchers see if a new drug really works.
Here’s how it works:
Blinding: In about 70% of trials, both the doctors and the participants don’t know who is getting the real drug and who is getting the placebo. This is called double-blind and it helps reduce bias, or unfair influence.
Effect Size: Sometimes, placebos can work really well! They account for about 30% of treatment effects for certain health issues. This means that people can feel better just because they think they are getting treatment.
Outcome Measures: Using placebos helps us figure out if the drug is truly helping or if people are just imagining the effects because they want to feel better.
Overall, using placebos makes evidence-based medicine stronger. It gives us reliable data, which helps doctors make better decisions for their patients.