Feature Articles
Silenced data: How banning words undermines real-world evidence in medical writing
Authors: Giovanna Gelmi, Claudia Percivalle
Executive orders (EOs) issued by the President of the United States can significantly shift federal research priorities, funding allocations, and public health directives, thereby influencing which medical topics receive attention and resources. EOs also affect the transparency, availability, and regulation of medical data. In this article, we report how language censorship brought about by recent EOs affects the collection, interpretation, and communication of real-world evidence. Real-world evidence depends on accurate, inclusive, and standardised terminology. Banning certain words under mines data integrity and scientific utility.
Medical Writing. 2025;34(3):99–101 | https://doi.org/10.56012/xgwp6546
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