In the life sciences, it is a given that a core message cannot be conveyed the same way across all channels. Instead, it needs to be reworked and adapted for various purposes and audiences. Regulatory submissions require a high level of technical detail and formality, while patient information materials must be written in plain language to ensure clear communication. Websites need to be optimized for SEO, and ads require succinct, persuasive copy. Strict rules and regulations dictate what can be said, how it can be said, and whether a specific piece of content can be promotional. Through it all, scientific accuracy must always be maintained.
When these materials are adapted for use in various global locales, the challenge goes far beyond accurate translation. Creating natural, culturally relevant, and linguistically accurate content for diverse audiences, while also considering search habits and keyword phrases, requires meticulous planning and a skilled localization partner.
The Message and the Medium
To illustrate the point, let’s examine a typical clinical trial scenario: patient recruitment. The core message, i.e., who is qualified, what participation entails, why the research matters, etc., remains the same. It does, however, need to be expressed very differently for every channel. A recruitment website, ads, regulatory documents, and patient handouts all serve different purposes and come with unique constraints. And when a trial is conducted across multiple countries, linguistic and cultural factors can decisively affect a study’s success.
The following (fictional) scenario illustrates how messaging, tone, and style need to shift across SEO content, advertising, regulatory documents, and patient-facing materials.
Example: Investigating a Novel Medical Device for ADHD in Children and Adolescents
The primary target group for recruitment would likely be the parents and caregivers of children and teenagers with ADHD, as well as their healthcare providers. And no clinical trial can be conducted without the requisite regulatory submissions. First, for your IRB packet, your language will need to be highly technical, formal, and absolutely consistent with the protocol. Promotional claims of any kind are disallowed.
Patient-facing materials, such as informed consent/assent forms, brochures, and study diaries, must be rewritten for laypersons to clearly communicate everything participants and their loved ones need to know about the research study. Given the diverse age groups and the mix of medical experts and laypeople, it is also necessary to adjust the tone of various materials to suit physicians, adult caregivers, adolescents, and children. Any advertising will need to be concise and clear. It also has to feature a strong call to action while adhering to medical device marketing regulations. Finally, a recruitment website needs to be developed with SEO in mind, with keyword research to ensure it matches the terms and phrases your target group is actually searching for.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) in Clinical Trial Recruitment
Increasingly, CT recruitment is taking place online. Whereas researchers and some providers may be aware of registries such as clinicaltrials.gov in the US and CTIS in the EU, patients looking for a study or a promising new investigational treatment will likely go straight to Google. In their search, they overwhelmingly use non-clinical terms and may also add their geographic location. If your recruitment site text is not optimized for the terms and phrases patients actually use, they may never find your study. For instance, if your website refers only to an “interventional Phase III NSCLC trial”, it is unlikely to rank high in the search results when a patient enters “Is there a study for lung cancer that spread to bones near me?”
Translation: The Bare Minimum
In global clinical trials, regulations dictate that core documents from ICFs to recruitment materials and patient-facing content be translated into a language that participants can understand. While these translations must be scientifically and linguistically accurate, mere accuracy is far from sufficient for clear communication, trust, and engagement. Using plain language principles and entrusting the translation work to native speakers who are well-attuned to the target audience’s culture is a step in the right direction. Nevertheless, cultural concepts and SEO keywords may not translate well.
Localization: The Key to Success
To ensure your materials resonate with your target audience, both culturally and linguistically, they need to be further adapted to speak to them effectively. This process is generally known as “localization”, i.e., adapting content to make it feel as though it was specifically created for your specific audience. For instance, if your trial involves acetaminophen and runs in the US and the UK, you would want to use the keywords “acetaminophen” and “Tylenol” for US-based audiences, and “paracetamol” and “Panadol” for those in the UK. You may also need to consider factors such as healthcare systems, payers, typical modes of transportation used to access study sites, and other societal norms. In our previous example about children and adolescents with ADHD, different conventions regarding how particular age groups are addressed in a given society, culture, and language (formal vs. informal language) may also apply.
Advertising is another piece of content that doesn’t always translate well – cue the now-legendary Chevy Nova case, where GM executives were unaware that “no va” means “won’t go” in Spanish when they tried to launch in South America.
SEO, however, is where this becomes an absolute non-negotiable. A straightforward translation of keywords and keyword phrases typically will not accurately reflect how your audience would actually search for that specific piece of content. This is why best practices include providing your language service provider with information on keywords, keyword phrases, and target locales (e.g., Spanish for use in Spain, Mexico, and Colombia), as well as allocating resources for additional keyword research in these regions so that patients are easily able to find your recruitment site.
The Hidden Value of Localization
To summarize, translation should be viewed as the bare minimum. Localization provided by a quality LSP goes beyond translation by adapting your content to the vocabulary, tone, and search habits of the target locale. Contact Vistatec today to schedule a conversation with one of our localization specialists.
