Intended for healthcare professionals

Views & Reviews From the Frontline

Beware of expensive imitations

BMJ 2008; 336 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.39475.465926.59 (Published 31 January 2008) Cite this as: BMJ 2008;336:280
  1. Des Spence, general practitioner, Glasgow
  1. destwo{at}yahoo.co.uk

    Research has established that expensive wine tastes better—even if in fact it is the same wine. I suspect that when you pay a high price for something, and despite evidence to the contrary, you genuinely believe it to be better. This is true of many “luxury” items like gaudy Italian fashion, whose gold buckles and epaulets are found loose in the washing machine. This effect is also true of health care.

    I manage to maintain my smile but my feet curl in painful spasm …

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