How can we prevent the nocebo effect and support patients?

Simple – by enabling the patient to openly communicate their beliefs and concerns with their doctor, and importantly, by doctors asking their patients what is important to them in a given moment. This would then help direct healthcare professionals to make more personalized and informed decisions about how they are going to interact and engage with their patients; flexibility is important. It would also give healthcare professionals the knowledge to signpost patients to the right information sources to help their specific needs. Understanding in practical terms how to set the patient up for greater success by minimizing the potential nocebo effect is key.

Engel, G.L. (1978) “The Biopsychosocial Model and the Education of Health Professionals’ Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 310:169–187