E-Posters-What affects the Placebo Effect?

What affects the Placebo Effect? - Georgina Baines, MRCOG

Pdf Summary

This study aimed to examine the factors that affect the placebo effect in the context of overactive bladder (OAB) treatment. The researchers compared the placebo response rates (PRR) between paper and electronic bladder diaries and analyzed the impact of variables such as bladder diary length, study length, sample size, and mean age on the placebo effect.<br /><br />The results showed that paper bladder diaries were associated with a significantly larger PRR compared to electronic bladder diaries. However, while statistically significant, this effect is not likely to be clinically significant. Additionally, a larger sample size was found to be associated with a greater PRR. The length of the bladder diary did not significantly affect the PRR, suggesting that the diary is most effective early on and does not increase with time.<br /><br />The study highlights the importance of including a placebo arm in randomized controlled trials to accurately quantify the effects of active treatment. The findings suggest that using paper bladder diaries may increase the placebo effect, possibly due to the reinforcement of training through prolonged completion time. These factors should be considered when designing clinical trials that rely on bladder diaries to measure bladder function.<br /><br />The study also acknowledged the need for a validated electronic bladder diary, as they are commonly used in clinical practice and trials. Currently, the ICIQ bladder diary is the only validated paper diary. Finally, disclosures were provided for the authors involved in the study.<br /><br />In summary, this study found that using paper bladder diaries and larger sample sizes were associated with a greater placebo effect in OAB treatment. The length of the bladder diary did not significantly affect the placebo effect. The study emphasizes the importance of considering these factors when designing trials and highlights the need for a validated electronic bladder diary.

Keywords

placebo effect

overactive bladder treatment

paper bladder diaries

electronic bladder diaries

placebo response rates

bladder diary length

study length

sample size

mean age

randomized controlled trials