What are the ethical issues with placebos?

First, placebos are supposedly ineffective (or less effective than “real” treatments), so the ethical requirement of beneficence (and “relative” nonmaleficence) renders their use unethical. Second, they allegedly require deception for their use, violating patient autonomy.

What are the ethical factors to consider when using placebo controls in experiments?

Ethical analysis and international ethical guidance permit the use of placebo controls in randomized trials when scientifically indicated in four cases: (1) when there is no proven effective treatment for the condition under study; (2) when withholding treatment poses negligible risks to participants; (3) when there …

Can the use of placebos be ethically justified in research involving children?

Placebo use can be considered ethical if the following conditions are met: The potential subjects have asymptomatic, mild-to-moderate primary hypertension; The potential subjects do not have hypertension-related target organ damage; Placebo treatment will be of short duration (generally <4–8 weeks);

What does placebo mean in medical terms?

(pluh-SEE-boh) An inactive substance or other intervention that looks the same as, and is given the same way as, an active drug or treatment being tested. The effects of the active drug or other intervention are compared to the effects of the placebo.

Which one of the following is ethically required in studies with human participants?

When conducting human subjects research, it is essential that researchers are familiar with the ethical principles delineated in the Belmont Report. These principles are: respect for persons, beneficence, and justice.

Why were some patients given a placebo?

Researchers use placebos during studies to help them understand what effect a new drug or some other treatment might have on a particular condition. For instance, some people in a study might be given a new drug to lower cholesterol. Others would get a placebo.

Can a doctor give you a placebo without telling you?

No. It would be completely unethical for a doctor to prescribe a placebo unless it is in a clinical trial, and if this was the case this would be done with the knowledge that this might occur and the consent of the patient. To prescibe a placebo without the patient knowing would be unethical on several levels.