Understanding your medical notes
Medical jargon translator: plain English in seconds
"Idiopathic", "bilateral", "unremarkable", "PRN" — medical documents are written in a professional shorthand that isn't meant to be difficult, but usually is. Patiently AI translates medical reports and medical jargon into plain English, so you can read your own documents with confidence.
Translate medical jargon into plain English
Paste any medical text — a letter, a report, a set of notes — and Patiently AI rewrites it in clear, everyday language. Free, no account needed, and identifying details are removed on your device before processing.
Translate my medical text → Your text isn't stored. Available on web, iOS & Android.What the jargon translator can help with
- Unfamiliar terminology — words like "stenosis", "hyperplasia" or "idiopathic" explained in everyday language.
- Abbreviations and acronyms — PMH, o/e, BD, Ix, NAD and hundreds more, decoded in context rather than as a dictionary list.
- Complex sentences — long clinical sentences broken into short, readable ones without losing the meaning.
- Test and procedure descriptions — what was done, and what the document says was found.
- Follow-up instructions — who is doing what next, and what the document asks of you.
- Questions for your appointment — suggested questions drawn from your document, so nothing important goes unasked.
One thing it deliberately won't do: tell you whether a result is good, bad, normal or urgent. Patiently AI explains what the document says — judgements about what it means for you belong with your healthcare team, who know your history.
How it works
- Paste or upload your medical text — you can also upload a photo, PDF or Word file, or dictate it.
- Choose how you'd like it explained — reading level (child, teen, adult or carer), tone, length, and one of 17 output languages.
- Read the plain-language version — plus suggested questions for your doctor and a built-in glossary of over 9,000 medical terms.
See the difference
Original medical text
"Patient is normotensive and afebrile with no palpable lymphadenopathy. Advised to continue analgesia PRN and re-attend if symptoms persist."
Plain-English version
"Your blood pressure was in the normal range and you didn't have a fever. The doctor couldn't feel any swollen glands. They suggest carrying on with pain relief as needed, and coming back if the symptoms don't settle."
Illustrative example only — not based on a real patient.
Why medical language is so hard to read
Medical jargon exists for a good reason: it lets clinicians describe findings precisely and quickly to each other. A phrase like "no palpable lymphadenopathy" packs an examination, a technique and a finding into three words. The problem is that most letters and reports are now shared with patients too — written in a language the most important reader was never taught.
Three habits of clinical writing cause most of the confusion:
- Latin and Greek roots — "hepato-" (liver), "-itis" (inflammation), "-ectomy" (surgical removal). Decoding one term often requires decoding three roots.
- Dense abbreviation — "c/o SOB o/e" is a full sentence to a clinician ("complaining of shortness of breath; on examination…").
- Understatement — "unremarkable" and "no acute findings" sound ominous but are typically how clinicians record that nothing concerning was seen.
Stop googling one term at a time
Looking up words individually loses the context that gives them meaning. Paste the whole passage into Patiently AI and get one coherent, plain-English explanation instead.
Try it with your own text → Paste, upload, photograph or dictate your medical text.Questions you may want to ask your doctor
Once the jargon is out of the way, the useful conversation can start. Depending on your document, you might ask:
- What is the main finding in this document?
- Does anything here need follow-up?
- Is any further test planned, and what is it looking for?
- What do the abbreviations in my notes mean?
- Is there anything I need to do next?
Patiently AI generates personalised "Questions for your doctor" from your own document automatically.
Frequently asked questions
Is the medical jargon translator free?
Yes. Patiently AI is free to use on the web and needs no account. Paste your text, choose how you'd like it explained, and read the plain-English version.
What kind of medical jargon can it translate?
Anything written in medical language: clinic and hospital letters, scan and test reports, discharge summaries, referral letters and medical notes. It explains technical terms, abbreviations like PMH, o/e and BD, and long clinical sentences — in everyday English.
Is my medical information private?
Patiently AI removes identifying details — names, NHS numbers, dates of birth, addresses, phone numbers — on your device before any text is sent for processing, and your text isn't stored. You can review exactly what is removed before anything leaves your browser.
Will it tell me whether my results are serious?
No — and that's deliberate. Patiently AI translates the language in your document so you can understand what it actually says. It doesn't diagnose, judge whether a result is normal or abnormal unless the document itself says so, or assess urgency. For what your results mean for you, speak to your healthcare team.
Can it translate medical text into other languages?
Yes. As well as plain English, Patiently AI can produce the explanation in 17 languages, so family members or carers who don't read English can understand the document too.