Language barriers in clinical trials can hinder trust, participation, and reliable data. Learn how innovative translation tools and inclusive communication methods can improve patient engagement, retention, and diversity in medical research.
2024-11-27
Blog
Imagine being asked to participate in a clinical trial, but the information you receive is in a language you don’t fully understand. Now, imagine that the treatment you’re being asked to test could be the only way to save your life. For many patients, language barriers in clinical trials are not just a minor inconvenience—they stand between them and hope.
Miscommunication is not just about lack of understanding, it's about trust. When patients don’t understand the details of a trial such as risks, procedures, or how to take their medication, the result can be:
A study conducted at a contract research organisation shows that more than 80% of patients with prostate cancer prioritize a trusting relationship with their research physicians when deciding to join or stay in a trial. This trust is a key reason why patients prefer face-to-face visits with their research team over telemedicine. The next best step to nurture this trust would be to communicate in the patient’s native language.
In today’s global clinical research landscape, over 70% of clinical staff relies on professional interpreters to communicate with non-English-speaking participants. While certified translations are fast and reliable, their higher cost can deter researchers.
A study from 2018 revealed that industry-sponsored trials translated more documents for non-English speakers (8.1%) compared to non-industry trials (4.4%). Balancing professional services with in-house review might streamline costs while maintaining quality, ultimately enabling broader inclusion of diverse populations in trials.
Moreover, a majority of research professionals found that time spent arranging interpreters often prevented them from offering trials to non-English-speaking participants. Federal guidelines, such as those from the FDA, emphasize that informed consent must be provided in a language that participants can understand.
Without addressing these barriers, trials risk violating informed consent principles and losing the participation of diverse groups. Unfortunately, despite these mandates, inadequate enforcement and insufficient funding for translation services continue to persist, limiting participation from non-English speakers.
Aided by the Care to Translate app, researchers could maintain accurate records of language usage throughout the study, making it easier to meet federal reporting requirements. The app could help researchers log language usage data in a standardized format, reducing the risk of oversight and making it easier to clearly document language demographics in study publications.
The future of clinical trials lies in breaking down communication barriers through more than just words. If contract research organizations want to achieve improved patient engagement, better retention rates and more robust and diverse data, they need to adopt tools such as:
According to the European Medicines Agency, trials focusing on inclusivity attract more participants and produce more accurate, generalizable results.
Language is more than just a tool for communication—it’s a bridge that connects patients with researchers, trials with real-world outcomes, and hope with healing. By embracing effective and culturally aware translation methods, clinical trials can unlock a more inclusive, accurate, and ethical future for medical research. After all, the best treatments are only effective when they can be accessed by the people who need them most. It’s time for clinical trials to speak the language of inclusion.
If you want to learn more about how Care to Translate can help with language support in clinical trials, contact us.
