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As the BMJ noted in its survey of physicians’ use of placebos this past week, the placebo effect is a powerful treatment. Judith Graham’s “Triage” blog examines this phenomenon and reminds us that it’s not the pill that’s causing the effect, but the attention to patient concerns: “In other words, it is the communication of caring, the feeling of being attended to, the transmission of confidence, the quality of the relationship between doctor and patient that holds the potential to ignite the placebo effect.”

Read the full entry: Placebos and the doctor-patient relationship.

 

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John M. Grohol, Psy.D.

John M. Grohol, Psy.D. is one of the pioneers in online mental health and support groups, getting his start on the Internet in 1992 with depression support groups and advocacy efforts. He is a writer, researcher, and the publisher & founder of the Internet's leading mental health and psychology network, Psych Central, a founding corporate member of the Society for Participatory Medicine. Dr. Grohol sits on the editorial board of Computers in Human Behavior and does e-health consulting in his spare time. Dr. Grohol is a founding member and treasurer of the Society for Participatory Medicine, and is also a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists.

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