The Best Thing to Do When Researchers Notice a Strong

Question

The best thing to do when researchers notice a strong placebo effect in a clinical trial is to
A) stop testing the drug
B) increase the dose of the 'real' drug
C) try to explain what is causing that effect because that information can be used to help people
D) charge more for the drug
E) offset it with a nacebo

Accepted Answer

The best choice is to try to explain what is causing the strong placebo effect because this information can be used to help people. If researchers can identify what factors are causing the placebo effect, they can design better clinical trials and improve patient care. Stopping the test or increasing the dose of the drug could be dangerous and may not provide any useful information. Charging more for the drug or offsetting with a nacebo would be unethical.