January 7, 2008

The Placebo Effect: Study Shows That Many Academic Doctors Prescribe Sham Treatments

By Richard Monastersky

In a survey of faculty members at three Chicago-area medical schools, nearly half said that they had used placebos to treat patients, a finding that may reflect a growing acceptance of placebos as a part of the medical tool kit.

Rachel Sherman, a fourth-year medical student at the University of Chicago, and John Hickner, a professor of family medicine there, conducted the poll of nearly all internists on staff at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine,

Print Subscription

Digital Subscription

Already have an account? Log In Now.