Skip to content

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

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

Status
Completed
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Observational
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT05166213
Acronym
PATOLP
Enrollment
6
Registered
2021-12-21
Start date
2021-12-16
Completion date
2022-11-10
Last updated
2024-12-17

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Open-label Placebos

Keywords

focus group discussions (FGD)

Brief summary

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

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.

Interventions

OTHERfocus 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?

Sponsors

University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Observational model
COHORT
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

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

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Qualitative data analysisone time assessment at baseline with a duration from max. 60 minutes.Qualitative data analysis using the approach of Thematic Analysis. This approach helps to identify, analyze, and interpret patterns of meanings in the form of upcoming themes in the qualitative data. Important themes deriving from the group discussion between the respective patient groups are explored. . In this manner, important subjective factors of OLP acceptance or non-acceptance can be revealed as well as boundaries of differences within opinions.

Countries

Switzerland

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026