The article was published on a Friday. By Saturday, people were already responding to the report. Rush Holt, CEO of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, commented, “Among the words forbidden to be used in CDC budget documents are ‘evidence-based’ and ‘science-based.’ I suppose one must not think of those things either. Here’s a word that’s still allowed: ridiculous.”4
The Washington Post and other media outlets blandly noted that entire divisions within the CDC perform research that uses these words. It was not immediately clear, for example, how researchers could request additional funding for research on the Zika virus if they could not mention the impact of a maternal infection on the fetus. The most entertaining response came from Chuck Todd on NBC’s Meet the Press, who, riffing on George Carlin’s act, merely made a statement incorporating all seven words without further comment.5
How the CDC views language & words has the potential to affect all of us, both as rheumatologists & as beneficiaries of the CDC’s research in other fields.
Matt Lloyd, spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services, disagreed with the report. In a statement to CNN, he noted, “the assertion that HHS has ‘banned words’ is a complete mischaracterization of discussions regarding the budget formulation process. HHS will continue to use the best scientific evidence available to improve the health of all Americans. HHS also strongly encourages the use of outcome and evidence data in program evaluations and budget decisions.”6
Brenda Fitzgerald, MD, director of the CDC, took to Twitter to state, “You may be understandably concerned about recent media reports alleging that [the] CDC is banned from using certain words in budget documents. I want to assure you that [the] CDC remains committed to our public health mission as a science and evidence-based institution.” After quoting Matt Lloyd’s statement, she went on to state, “I want to assure you there are no banned words at the CDC. We will continue to talk about all our important public health programs.”7
In Fiscal Year 2017, the CDC’s budget was $7.2 billion, $1.12 billion of which was dedicated to chronic disease prevention and health promotion.8 One of the chronic diseases the CDC has focused on is arthritis. The CDC collects data on the prevalence of arthritis in the U.S., and how arthritis affects patients’ quality of life. The CDC also supports efforts by state and national programs, such as the Osteoarthritis Action Alliance, to educate patients on the pathogenesis and prevention of osteoarthritis.9 How the CDC views language and words has the potential to affect all of us, both as rheumatologists and as beneficiaries of the CDC’s research in other fields.
