Medical Translations
Fortunately, the pandemic years are now a memory. But if there is a concept that, more than others, has left a trace of itself in the common imagination, this is certainly the importance of experimentation in the medical field. Clinical trials are one of the necessary steps for the development and adoption of new drugs, procedures, or therapies, and translation, as often happens, can act as an amplifier, promoting and supporting safe innovation in the health sector.
Linguistic accessibility has considerable importance in several sectors by allowing to reach a wider slice of population and ensuring correct communication between the parties. Among these, we clearly find the medical, pharmaceutical, and life science fields.
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As partially anticipated, the main objective of a clinical trial is to verify whether a new health approach can be advantageous if compared to the current state of the art. In experimental clinical trials, it is therefore crucial to sufficiently expand the number of participants so as not to spoil the results obtained by limiting the scope of the research.
So, to assess whether any improvements found are directly attributable to the novelty under study, an adequate number of subjects must be included in the research to ensure its full validity.
In this context, translation can play a crucial role in seeking consensus from the individuals involved in the clinical trial, allowing them to have access to accurate and easily understandable information about the purpose of the research, how it will be carried out, and the known risks and benefits.
Translation in Clinical Trials
A study recently published in Nature aimed at identifying how the costs related to translation services can negatively affect progress in the medical field, excessively limiting participation in clinical trials.
As reported by Rocio Txabarriaga in his contribution to Slator: “The researchers explained that [in the United States] in 43.8% of the consent events for the evaluated sponsored studies, the patient had signed a document in a language other than the main language. In unsponsored studies, less than 1% of patients signed consent documents in their native language ”.
This data is most likely due to a language barrier between the parties involved. This may cause plausible misunderstandings, a lack of full knowledge of the information, and the risk of undergoing studies unsuitable for their conditions.
In addition, another relevant piece of data concerns unsponsored studies, in which a very small number of people speaking a language different from that used by researchers participate on average.
Thanks to translation services, it is easy to expand the number of languages in which patients can become aware of the clinical trial in its entirety, increasing inclusiveness and stimulating greater participation.
To date, the gold standard in the world of professional translation is represented by the human-technology combination, which can ensure high quality levels at reduced costs.
Let’s give it a chance.
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