Abstract
We surveyed the current state of placebo use in clinical practice by ward head nurses working in hospitals of Japan using self-written unsigned answer sheets. The survey includes two parts: one is from 955 hospitals having over 300 beds all over the country; the other is from 337 hospitals having 20-299 beds in the Tokyo Metropolitan area. The result showed that 22.4% (the country) and 59.0% (the Metropolitan area) of the head nurses answered that they have executed the placebo treatment within the past year. The treatment was done without explanation by doctors in 53.4% and 45.7% of cases, and without consent of patients in 66.1% and 52.8% of cases respectively, showing that the majority of placebo treatments were executed without informed consent. To the question "Is the placebo treatment unethical?", 53.5% and 81.5% respectively answered "No". These results show that a considerable majority of head nurses have a paternalistic attitude about the placebo treatment.
