Nocebo effect - what is it? And what can we do about it?

Professor Keith Petrie talks about the 'nocebo' effect. Keith is a professor in the Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Auckland and has made significant contributions to health, medicine and psycho-immunology. His Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ) is widely cited, and its use has advanced the understanding of how people perceive and respond to illness, with implications for recovery.

Topics

Definition of the nocebo effect
Why should we be aware of this effect?
Examples of nocebo effect in practice
How to reduce the effect?
How powerful is our language and patient relationship when thinking about this effect?
Are there any populations to be more aware of?
Nocebo effect and new technology.

Take home messages

The nocebo effect is an important part of medical practice
Essentially, it’s a problem of misattribution
Those that are susceptible tend to believe they are more sensitive to the effect of medicines and have higher levels of anxiety
Clinician-patient relationship is important, as is providing information framed positively.