A kind doctor can make medicine work better
Recent research indicates that a doctor is kind to you will make the medicines work better for you.
The findings come from researchers looking at the ‘placebo effect’ where a dummy treatment produces an effect in the body that actual medication would.
Studies have shown that when people are told, for instance, that an injection they have been given reduces pain, they report feeling better, even if the syringe contained only salt water.
A research unit At Harvard University, a research unit has been set up specifically to investigate the placebo response. It has found that simple things such as using positive words, creating a reassuring environment and ensuring that a patient trusts the doctor, can all improve the response to treatment.
‘We’ve built up enough evidence to start training doctors on how to improve the effectiveness of their treatment by making use of the placebo effect,’ says psychologist Professor Irving Kirsch, associate director of the Harvard Program in Placebo Studies.
Written by: Dr. Ajay Sati.
