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Maintain:
keep, keep up, care for, look after, save, support, take care of
CDC Original Sentences:
If you live alone, maintain social ties with coworkers, friends, and family members.
Plain Language Sentences:
Keep in touch with coworkers, friends, and family members if you live alone.
Entry Last Modified 4 November 2016
Malignant:
Cancerous, cancer
CDC Original Sentences:
Smoking or use of tobacco products has been proven to increase the likelihood of malignant tumor growth throughout the body.
Plain Language Sentences:
Tobacco use can cause cancer almost anywhere in your body.
Entry Last Modified 3 January 2025
Manage:
control, direct, be in charge of, take care of, watch, pay attention to
CDC Original Sentences:
Teach your child to manage diabetes at school by encouraging physical activity and healthy eating as well as medication and testing routines.
Plain Language Sentences:
Encourage your child to be active and eat foods that keep diabetes under control while at school. Also, teach your child about the right way to test blood sugar and take medicines.
Entry Last Modified 4 November 2016
Medical facilities:
doctor's office; doctors' offices; hospitals; clinics; nursing homes; places for tests; labs (patient testing and procedures)
CDC Original Sentences:
Infections from Clostridium difficile (C. difficile), a bacteria that causes diarrhea and other health issues, is a patient safety concern in all types of medical facilities, not just hospitals as traditionally thought, according to a new Vital Signs report today from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Plain Language Sentences:
Hospitals aren't the only places where patients can get sick with Clostridium difficile (C. diff), a germ that can cause diarrhea and other health problems. People can also get sick with this dangerous germ in doctors' offices, clinics, nursing homes, and labs, according to a Vital Signs report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Entry Last Modified 4 November 2016
Medication:
medicine
CDC Original Sentences:
If you are pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant, talk with your doctor about any medications you are taking or thinking about taking.
Plain Language Sentences:
If you are pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant, talk with your doctor about any medicine you are taking or thinking about taking.
Entry Last Modified 4 November 2016
Methods:
how the study was done or carried out
CDC Original Sentences:
Major changes to BRFSS survey methods began in 2011.
Plain Language Sentences:
Major changes to the way researchers carry out the BRFSS survey began in 2011.
Entry Last Modified 4 November 2016
mitigate:
prevent, reduce, decrease, lessen
CDC Original Sentences:
We designed a plan to mitigate the effects of the hazard.
Plain Language Sentences:
We designed a plan to reduce the effects of the hazard.
Entry Last Modified 15 January 2025
Modify:
change, fix
CDC Original Sentences:
Modify recipes to reduce the amount of fat and calories.
Plain Language Sentences:
Change recipes so they have less fat and fewer calories.
Entry Last Modified 4 November 2016
Monitor:
check, watch
CDC Original Sentences:
You will only know the success of the plan if you monitor your progress.
Plain Language Sentences:
You will only know the success of the plan if you check your progress from time to time.
Entry Last Modified 4 November 2016
Morbidity:
sick, sickness
CDC Original Sentences:
Maternal morbidity includes physical and psychologic conditions that result from or are aggravated by pregnancy and have an adverse effect on a woman's health.
Plain Language Sentences:
Women who've given birth can get sick because of physical and psychological reasons that pregnancy causes or makes worse.
Entry Last Modified 4 November 2016
Mortality rate:
Death rate; a measure of the frequency of occurrence of death in a defined population during a specified time.
CDC Original Sentences:
The mortality rate for COVID-19 is higher in men than in women.
Plain Language Sentences:
The death rate from COVID-19 is higher in men than in women.
Entry Last Modified 14 September 2020
If you do audience testing of these words or other public health or medical words, please send your results to the health literacy staff in CDC’s Office of Communications at clearcommunication@cdc.gov.
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