Patients' Attitudes Towards Open-Label Placebo Implementation Into Clinical Practice

NCT ID: NCT05166213

Last Updated: 2024-12-17

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Total Enrollment

6 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2021-12-16

Study Completion Date

2022-11-10

Brief Summary

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The aim of this project is to assess patients' opinions, attitudes, and ideas regarding the administration of OLPs in clinical practice, although they might never have had contact to placebos. A qualitative approach is used and online focus group discussions (FGD) with patients with different clinical conditions, entailing chronic back pain, Parkinson's disease, chronic migraine, chemotherapy induced emesis, and menopausal complaints are conducted.

Detailed Description

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Substantial placebo effects have been known for several decades for a multitude of physical as well as psychological complaints. It is essential to test the acceptability of Open-label placebos (OLPs) of patients and health professionals. The aim of this project is to assess patients' opinions, attitudes, and ideas regarding the administration of OLPs in clinical practice, although they might never have had contact to placebos. A qualitative approach is used and online focus group discussions (FGD) with patients with different clinical conditions, entailing chronic back pain, Parkinson's disease, chronic migraine, chemotherapy induced emesis, and menopausal complaints are conducted. A semi-structured topic guide with open-ended questions will be used.

Conditions

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Open-label Placebos

Keywords

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focus group discussions (FGD)

Study Design

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Observational Model Type

COHORT

Study Time Perspective

PROSPECTIVE

Study Groups

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Chronic back pain

focus group discussions (FGD)

Intervention Type OTHER

FGD to explore patients' attitudes/ concerns towards OLP implementation into clinical practice by means of assessment of qualitative information: 1) Patients' attitudes towards clinical usage of OLPs 2) Personal acceptance of OLP intervention 3) Perceived ideas, concerns regarding OLP implementation. Core questions: 1) Attitudes: After all that I told you about placebos, i.e. that there is a concept that patients are openly elucidated that they receive placebos: What does this elicit in you/What is your opinion on this? How do you like the idea? 2) Context of Acceptance: Under which conditions would you personally take placebos knowing that they are placebos? 3) Concerns: Why would you not take openly administered placebos? 4) Ideas for clinical implication: How could an open placebo intervention look like in the hospital? Where could it be possible to receive placebos and how could a placebo intervention in the best manner take place? What would be important from your point of view?

Clinically significant menopausal complaints

focus group discussions (FGD)

Intervention Type OTHER

FGD to explore patients' attitudes/ concerns towards OLP implementation into clinical practice by means of assessment of qualitative information: 1) Patients' attitudes towards clinical usage of OLPs 2) Personal acceptance of OLP intervention 3) Perceived ideas, concerns regarding OLP implementation. Core questions: 1) Attitudes: After all that I told you about placebos, i.e. that there is a concept that patients are openly elucidated that they receive placebos: What does this elicit in you/What is your opinion on this? How do you like the idea? 2) Context of Acceptance: Under which conditions would you personally take placebos knowing that they are placebos? 3) Concerns: Why would you not take openly administered placebos? 4) Ideas for clinical implication: How could an open placebo intervention look like in the hospital? Where could it be possible to receive placebos and how could a placebo intervention in the best manner take place? What would be important from your point of view?

Parkinson's disease

focus group discussions (FGD)

Intervention Type OTHER

FGD to explore patients' attitudes/ concerns towards OLP implementation into clinical practice by means of assessment of qualitative information: 1) Patients' attitudes towards clinical usage of OLPs 2) Personal acceptance of OLP intervention 3) Perceived ideas, concerns regarding OLP implementation. Core questions: 1) Attitudes: After all that I told you about placebos, i.e. that there is a concept that patients are openly elucidated that they receive placebos: What does this elicit in you/What is your opinion on this? How do you like the idea? 2) Context of Acceptance: Under which conditions would you personally take placebos knowing that they are placebos? 3) Concerns: Why would you not take openly administered placebos? 4) Ideas for clinical implication: How could an open placebo intervention look like in the hospital? Where could it be possible to receive placebos and how could a placebo intervention in the best manner take place? What would be important from your point of view?

Migraine

focus group discussions (FGD)

Intervention Type OTHER

FGD to explore patients' attitudes/ concerns towards OLP implementation into clinical practice by means of assessment of qualitative information: 1) Patients' attitudes towards clinical usage of OLPs 2) Personal acceptance of OLP intervention 3) Perceived ideas, concerns regarding OLP implementation. Core questions: 1) Attitudes: After all that I told you about placebos, i.e. that there is a concept that patients are openly elucidated that they receive placebos: What does this elicit in you/What is your opinion on this? How do you like the idea? 2) Context of Acceptance: Under which conditions would you personally take placebos knowing that they are placebos? 3) Concerns: Why would you not take openly administered placebos? 4) Ideas for clinical implication: How could an open placebo intervention look like in the hospital? Where could it be possible to receive placebos and how could a placebo intervention in the best manner take place? What would be important from your point of view?

Cancer-related emesis/nausea

focus group discussions (FGD)

Intervention Type OTHER

FGD to explore patients' attitudes/ concerns towards OLP implementation into clinical practice by means of assessment of qualitative information: 1) Patients' attitudes towards clinical usage of OLPs 2) Personal acceptance of OLP intervention 3) Perceived ideas, concerns regarding OLP implementation. Core questions: 1) Attitudes: After all that I told you about placebos, i.e. that there is a concept that patients are openly elucidated that they receive placebos: What does this elicit in you/What is your opinion on this? How do you like the idea? 2) Context of Acceptance: Under which conditions would you personally take placebos knowing that they are placebos? 3) Concerns: Why would you not take openly administered placebos? 4) Ideas for clinical implication: How could an open placebo intervention look like in the hospital? Where could it be possible to receive placebos and how could a placebo intervention in the best manner take place? What would be important from your point of view?

Interventions

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focus group discussions (FGD)

FGD to explore patients' attitudes/ concerns towards OLP implementation into clinical practice by means of assessment of qualitative information: 1) Patients' attitudes towards clinical usage of OLPs 2) Personal acceptance of OLP intervention 3) Perceived ideas, concerns regarding OLP implementation. Core questions: 1) Attitudes: After all that I told you about placebos, i.e. that there is a concept that patients are openly elucidated that they receive placebos: What does this elicit in you/What is your opinion on this? How do you like the idea? 2) Context of Acceptance: Under which conditions would you personally take placebos knowing that they are placebos? 3) Concerns: Why would you not take openly administered placebos? 4) Ideas for clinical implication: How could an open placebo intervention look like in the hospital? Where could it be possible to receive placebos and how could a placebo intervention in the best manner take place? What would be important from your point of view?

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Signed informed Consent form (see Appendix)
* Capable of consent (language/cognitive)
* At least 18 years of age
* Ability to attend an online conference in regard of physical and psychological condition and technical knowhow and equipment
* In addition, participants have to be affected by one of the following conditions/disorders:

* Chronic back pain
* Chemotherapy-induced emesis (last occurrence at least before 14 days and at maximum before one year)
* Chronic migraine
* Parkinson's disease
* Clinically significant menopausal complaints

Exclusion Criteria

* Severe ailment and medication side-effects which would interfere with study participation (e.g., due to concentration impairment)
* Acute psychological crisis which would affect study participation essentially or suicidality
* Co-morbidity that overlaps in symptoms with the symptoms necessary for inclusion
* Essential psychiatric disorders other than moderate depression
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Antje Frey Nascimento, Dr.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Basel, Faculty of Psychology, Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy

Locations

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University of Basel, Faculty of Psychology, Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy

Basel, , Switzerland

Site Status

Countries

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Switzerland

References

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Frey Nascimento A, Bakis B, Gaab J, Schneider T, Papadopoulou A, Ritter M, Bernstein MH, Blease CR, Locher C. Talking placebo: a qualitative study of patients' attitudes toward open-label placebo implementation into clinical practice. Front Psychol. 2025 Jul 31;16:1533663. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1533663. eCollection 2025.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 40823423 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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2021-02304; ex21Frey

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id