Willingness to participate in placebo-controlled surgical trials of the knee A DISCRETE CHOICE EXPERIMENT OF PATIENTS AND SURGEONS

Abstract

Aims Surgeon and patient reluctance to participate are potential significant barriers to conducting placebo-controlled trials of orthopaedic surgery. Understanding the preferences of orthopaedic surgeons and patients regarding the design of randomized placebo-controlled trials (RCT-Ps) of knee procedures can help to identify what RCT-P features will lead to the greatest participation. This information could inform future trial designs and feasibility assessments. Methods This study used two discrete choice experiments (DCEs) to determine which features of RCT-Ps of knee procedures influence surgeon and patient participation. A mixed-methods approach informed the DCE development. The DCEs wer..