The proposal "Can we harness the placebo effect to improve care in lower urinary tract dysfunction?" was discussed at the International Consultation on Incontinence-Research Society (ICI-RS) 2019 meeting. The placebo effect can change the treatment outcome whether the treatment is an active treatment or placebo. The total active treatment outcome is a combination of the placebo and the active treatment effect which is seen in placebo-controlled trials. The placebo effect plays an important role in the treatment of lower urinary tract dysfunction in overactive bladder, bladder pain syndrome, and stress urinary incontinence. In clinical practice, a number of factors can be employed to use the placebo effect to maximize its effect on patients receiving an active treatment, such as having the same environment for review such as the same appointment time, same room, and same clinician. Clinicians should also be aware of the nocebo effect which is increased with an overemphasis on side effects or negative outcomes.
Neurourology and urodynamics. 2020 Apr 20 [Epub ahead of print]
Vik Khullar, Mohammad S Rahnama'i, Nikolaus Veit-Rubin, Linda Cardozo, Alan J Wein
Urogynaecology Department, St Mary's Hospital, Imperial College London, London, UK., Department of Urology, University Hospital Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands., Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria., Department of Urogynaecology, Kings College Hospital, London, UK., Department of Urology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.