Final report of the National Placebo Working Committee on the Appropriate Use of Placebos in Clinical Trials in Canada : Rapport final du Comité de travail national sur les placebos portant sur l'utilisation appropriée des placebos dans les essais cliniques au Canada

The NPWC’s Report is a reflection of the views of the members of the NPWC on the appropriate use of placebos in clinical trials. [...] The NPWC was operating on the shared understanding that clinical equipoise relies on the collective wisdom of the expert practitioners and as a concept, applies to the evaluation of the initiation and continuation of a trial, rather than to the decision about entry of an individual patient into a trial. [...] The focus groups were designed in such a way as to determine the attitude of patients and the general public regarding the use of placebo in clinical trials, both before and after a simple educational intervention that described the use of placebos and explained both sides of the placebo debate. [...] Given the complex nature of the material in the Draft Report, as well as the extensive length of the Draft Report and the questionnaire, respondents were given the option of completing only a portion of the questionnaire. [...] Preparation of the Final Report and its Submission to Health Canada and CIHR In February 2004, the NPWC met for the last time to discuss its Draft Report and finalise it in light of the outcomes of the public and stakeholder consultations.