Table 2.
Placebo analgesia knowledge, effectiveness, and acceptability
| Survey Questions | VAS Anchors (0 – 100) | Abbreviation | M (SD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Placebo Conceptualization/Knowledge | |||
| Overall, is a placebo something “inert/incapable of producing an effect” or something “active/capable of producing an effect? | Completely inert; Completely active | Placebo Conceptualization | 19.93 (24.73) |
| How much knowledge do you have about placebo for pain relief? | No knowledge of placebo for pain relief; Most knowledge of placebo for pain relief imaginable | Placebo Knowledge | 37.19 (33.17) |
| Placebo Effectiveness | |||
| How effective would placebo be for your pain? | Completely ineffective; Completely effective | Placebo Effectiveness | 18.33 (18.82) |
| Placebo Acceptability | |||
| How acceptable would it be if your physician used a placebo treatment to reduce your pain without telling you? | Completely unacceptable; Completely acceptable | Deceptive Placebo Acceptability | 18.05 (23.79) |
| How acceptable would it be if your physician told you that he/she was going to use a placebo treatment to reduce your pain? | Completely unacceptable; Completely acceptable | Explicit Placebo Acceptability | 29.46 (33.01) |
| How acceptable would it be if your physician told you that he/she was going to use a placebo treatment that may enhance the effectiveness of your usual pain treatments? | Completely unacceptable; Completely acceptable | Treatment Enhancer Placebo Acceptability | 41.93 (34.36) |
| How acceptable would it be if your physician treated your pain with placebo when other established treatments were available? | Completely unacceptable; Completely acceptable | Placebo Acceptability when other EBTs are available | 20.28 (23.76) |
| How acceptable would it be if your physician treated pain with placebo when NO other established treatments were available? | Completely unacceptable; Completely acceptable | Placebo Acceptability when NO other EBTs are available | 48.21 (39.41) |
| How acceptable would it be if your physician used a placebo to see if your pain is “real”? | Completely unacceptable; Completely acceptable | Diagnostic Placebo Acceptability | 36.26 (36.81) |
Note: M, mean; SD, standard deviation.