General PractitionersNCT00603928
Placebo Interventions in General Practice
An observational study of General Practitioners, run by University of Zurich at 1 site in Switzerland.
Trial summary
Physicians often have an ambivalent relationship to placebo interventions. On the one hand they know of the intriguing effect of sugar pills or saline infusions but on the other hand they mostly feel constrained to adopt scientifically proven, specific therapies for ethical reasons. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Any ageHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- General Practitioners
- How many people
- 600 participants
- Where
- 1 siteSwitzerland
- Study dates
- Nov 2007to Mar 2008
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages Any age
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Study population: general practitioners and pediatricians in medical practice of the canton Zurich in Switzerland
Who may be able to join
- general practitioners and pediatricians in medical practice of the canton Zurich in Switzerland
Who cannot join
- no patient encounters
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Physicians often have an ambivalent relationship to placebo interventions. On the one hand they know of the intriguing effect of sugar pills or saline infusions but on the other hand they mostly feel constrained to adopt scientifically proven, specific therapies for ethical reasons. Against the background of international literature one can assume that also Swiss general practitioners use several forms of placebo interventions in a significant part of their patients.
The aim of the project is to ascertain to which extent and in which way Swiss general practitioners make use of placebo interventions. Furthermore knowledge of the mode of action of placebo interventions and the perceived moral and lawful permissibility of placebo interventions and the presumed attitudes of the patients will be investigated.
Read more
The empicical core of the study is a questionnaire survey of general practitioners in urban and rural areas of Switzerland. The results and conclusions of the survey will be discussed during a workshop with interested GPs, researchers and ethicists.
The obtained data will lead to a better understanding of the application of placebo interventions in the general practice in Switzerland (how often and in which manner, accompanied by what information, for which diseases and for which patient groups placebos are applied). Moreover the study will help to articulate potential moral ambiguities of physicians using placebo interventions.
- Conditions
- General Practitioners
- Keywords
- attitude, attitude of health personnel, ethics, bioethics, biomedical ethics, patient care, physicians, placebo effect, placebos, questionnaires, therapy, general practice
- Medical subject headings
- Behavior
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted29 Jan 2008 (estimated)
- Study startNov 2007
- Primary completionMar 2008
- Study completionMar 2008
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for General PractitionersStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Case only
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 600 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Zurich
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences (SAMS)
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT00603928
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- RRMA-5-07
- Status last verified
- Nov 2008
- First submitted
- 16 Jan 2008
- Last updated
- 20 Nov 2008
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 20 Nov 2008. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Placebo Interventions in General Practice
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT00603928
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- RRMA-5-07
- Conditions
- General Practitioners
- Keywords
- attitude, attitude of health personnel, ethics, bioethics, biomedical ethics, patient care, physicians, placebo effect
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 600 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of ZurichUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences (SAMS)
- Study start
- Nov 2007
- Primary completion
- Mar 2008 (actual)
- Study completion
- Mar 2008 (actual)
- First posted
- 29 Jan 2008 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Physicians often have an ambivalent relationship to placebo interventions. On the one hand they know of the intriguing effect of sugar pills or saline infusions but on the other hand they mostly feel constrained to adopt scientifically proven, specific therapies for ethical reasons. Against the background of international literature one can assume that also Swiss general practitioners use several forms of placebo interventions in a significant part of their patients.
The aim of the project is to ascertain to which extent and in which way Swiss general practitioners make use of placebo interventions. Furthermore knowledge of the mode of action of placebo interventions and the perceived moral and lawful permissibility of placebo interventions and the presumed attitudes of the patients will be investigated.
The empicical core of the study is a questionnaire survey of general practitioners in urban and rural areas of Switzerland. The results and conclusions of the survey will be discussed during a workshop with interested GPs, researchers and ethicists.
The obtained data will lead to a better understanding of the application of placebo interventions in the general practice in Switzerland (how often and in which manner, accompanied by what information, for which diseases and for which patient groups placebos are applied). Moreover the study will help to articulate potential moral ambiguities of physicians using placebo interventions.
Study design
- Observational model
- Case only
- Time perspective
- Prospective
Who may qualify
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- general practitioners and pediatricians in medical practice of the canton Zurich in Switzerland
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- general practitioners and pediatricians in medical practice of the canton Zurich in Switzerland
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- no patient encounters
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Primary outcome
Not reported in the source record.
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 20 Nov 2008.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of General Practitioners, run by University of Zurich at 1 site in Switzerland.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 20 Nov 2008. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Switzerland. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 20 Nov 2008.