Researchers have found that a medical encounter may produce its own placebo effects that can bring about significant symptom improvement. The part of the encounter that plays the greatest role in the placebo effect appears to be the physician-patient relationship. In theory, the placebo effect of a medical encounter can be divided into the response to three main components: 1) the assessment and observation, 2) placebo treatment, and 3) patient-physician relationship. This study verified this theory and examined these components of the placebo effect.
Source: http://nccam.nih.gov/research/results/spotlight/040308.htm?nav=rss