"Every medical technology already harbors a placebo response by virtue of its intensity. A sham surgery is more powerful than a saline injection; a saline injection is more powerful than a sugar pill."
"The more involved the intervention, the more the patient thinks, 'Gosh, I hope this treatment works'—hence why a higher price paid for the intervention can mean a greater placebo response."
"Even that small pill is inevitably wrapped up in a story that a person, a doctor, and a society tell about it. For example, a larger pill is more powerful than a smaller one."
"If something so insignificant as the size and color of a pill can influence the placebo response, consider the potential of the millions of other factors around this theater of care."
Collection
[
|
...
]