Report of similar placebo response in one internet versus onsite randomised controlled trials from the literature

Arthur Ooghe; Xiaoqian Liu; Sarah Robbins; Jillian P Eyles; Leticia A Deveza; Samuel Branders; Frédéric Clermont; Alvaro Pereira; David J Hunter

doi:10.1016/j.ocarto.2024.100474

Report of similar placebo response in one internet versus onsite randomised controlled trials from the literature

Osteoarthr Cartil Open. 2024 Apr 27;6(2):100474. doi: 10.1016/j.ocarto.2024.100474. eCollection 2024 Jun.

Authors

Arthur Ooghe¹, Xiaoqian Liu^{2

3}, Sarah Robbins^{2

3}, Jillian P Eyles^{2

3}, Leticia A Deveza^{2

3}, Samuel Branders¹, Frédéric Clermont¹, Alvaro Pereira¹, David J Hunter^{2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Cognivia, 11 rue Granbonpré, Bte 9 - 1435 Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium.
² Rheumatology Department, Royal North Shore Hospital, Northern Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Australia.
³ Sydney Musculoskeletal Health, Kolling Institute, The University of Sydney, Australia.

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the magnitude and the predictors of the placebo response in an internet versus onsite randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in people with hand osteoarthritis (HOA).

Method: This study is a post-hoc analysis based on one internet RCT (RADIANT) and previously published onsite RCTs for HOA identified through a rigorous searching and selection strategy. The magnitude of the placebo response in the two different types of RCTs were compared using heterogeneity statistics and forest plots visualisation. Classic placebo predictors as well as a combined model, defined with data from onsite RCTs, were tested to predict the placebo response.

Results: We analysed the dataset from RADIANT and fourteen previously published onsite RCTs. None of the analyses showed a significant difference between the placebo response for the internet versus onsite RCTs. The "classic" placebo predictors combined in a multivariate predictive model correlated significantly with the placebo response measured in RADIANT study.

Conclusion: Despite the absence of face-to-face interactions with the study personnel, there is no evidence that either the magnitude or the predictors of the placebo response of this internet RCT differ from those of onsite RCTs. This analysis is considered as a first step towards evaluating the difference between these designs and strengthens the argument that internet RCTs remain an acceptable alternative way to assess the efficacy of an active treatment in comparison to a placebo.

Keywords: Analgesia; Osteoarthritis; Patient-physician interaction; Placebo response; Remote trial.