Clinical trials are an integral part of the life sciences sector; they generate the evidence the industry runs on. Conducting them skillfully is both an art and a science, and choosing a viable communication strategy is especially crucial when conducting global trials across multiple locales, languages, and cultures.
In this context, sponsors and researchers communicate primarily with clinicians and (potential) participants. Addressing each of these groups at an appropriate level and in a way that engages and builds trust while also ensuring factual accuracy is not as simple as it sounds. From selecting the most suitable form of address to choosing the appropriate terminology, complexity, tone, and register for the two target groups, effective communication is crucial to successfully conducting clinical trials on a global scale.
The Dual-Audience Dilemma
Addressing clinicians and laypersons in a clinical trial setting is a classic dual-audience scenario. Complex content is being communicated to two groups with vastly different needs and levels of health literacy. Furthermore, their roles in the study differ significantly, which necessitates a distinctly different approach. Of course, the first step to creating an effective communication strategy is understanding your audience(s), so let’s take a look.
Clinicians in Clinical Trials
Healthcare providers participate in clinical studies in a professional rather than a personal capacity. They are tasked with providing patient care, ensuring participant safety, conducting the trial ethically and in compliance with regulations, and protecting data integrity. Clinicians, therefore, expect technically precise language, concise, neutral phrasing at a high level of complexity, and medical terminology, usually in a formal register. This style of communication helps convey with precision and at a high level of detail, making the content authoritative and credible. Typical clinician-facing materials in this setting include study protocols, investigator brochures, case report forms, and recruitment materials such as letters, ads, and other media.
Study Participants
Participants in clinical trials have an entirely different motivation that is generally based on their personal, lived experience. They may be affected by a specific health condition or moved to contribute to research on this topic for personal reasons, such as an afflicted family member. In this context, clinical trial decisions, procedures, and outcomes are intensely personal to them and can significantly impact their health and well-being. This means that, in addition to communicating in ways that take into account factors such as health literacy, it is important to use simpler language to facilitate communication and to choose a tone and register that convey both empathy and respect.
The Four Key Elements of Effective Multi-Stakeholder Communication
Multiple factors contribute to building trust and ensuring effective communication in a dual-audience setting, including four key aspects.
Complexity
While clinicians are used to complex sentence and paragraph structures that provide a high level of detail, patients and caregivers are usually not accustomed to this style of writing and may find it difficult to parse. In addition, their personal and emotional involvement can make it challenging to follow complex content in a given situation. Opting for simple sentence structures and avoiding excessive detail helps facilitate comprehension, e.g., by implementing Plain Language principles.
Terminology
Although some medical terminology has entered the mainstream, it can often be difficult to follow and confusing to laypersons. While medical jargon can help ensure accurate communication with medical experts, materials addressed to patients and caregivers should be written in everyday language with explanations inserted as needed.
Register (Formality)
One frequently overlooked part of successful communication is the register, i.e., the degree of formality. This has an impact from the very beginning. Imagine, if you will, how differently your content will land based on whether you address a physician as “Dear Dr. Smith” or start a letter with “Hey, Ed”. The same holds true for participants: It is important to consider their age, background, and culture – an even more relevant factor when working with populations whose languages and cultures may operate at a higher level of formality than ours. Do you use the person’s first name, or should you use first and last names? How do you appropriately address children and teenagers? These are all topics best considered early in the content development and localization process.
Tone
Healthcare providers in clinical trials fulfil a professional role, while every aspect of a study personally impacts patients and caregivers. Every decision has the potential to impact their well-being and their quality of life. Communicating similar content to these groups, therefore, requires a professional tone on the one hand vs. a friendly, empathic, and supportive tone on the other.
Putting it All Together
These four aspects are not disparate. Instead, they come together as a comprehensive whole. Consider, for example, this short phrase:
Clinician-facing: “This trial evaluates the impact of a novel therapy on hepatic function in adults with NASH.”
Participant-facing: “We’re studying a new medicine to help your liver stay healthy.”
These two sentences contrast not only in terminology and complexity, but also in register and tone – yet, they are appropriate for each target group.
(Not Getting) Lost in Translation
Having crafted a solid strategy, how do you ensure it is implemented successfully across the board, including in different languages and cultures? This is where an experienced language service provider (LSP) can be of assistance.
In addition to working with expert translators who possess the relevant know-how and having robust project management processes in place, premium providers like Vistatec use sophisticated technology and methods to implement a coherent strategy for effective communication.
Among the tools commonly used in localization are so-called “translation memories” – databases that store segments of a translation to help maintain consistency. When addressing multiple audiences, specialist LSPs avoid placing all the content for a project into a single database. Instead, they use proven processes such as TM “splitting” and maintaining master and subordinate databases for a given client, split by target audience. Other methods include maintaining primary and secondary translation memories that reference previous projects, as well as carefully curated glossaries and style guides. Where needed, metadata can also be used to extrapolate relevant content.
Benefits of a Dual-Audience Strategy
A well-conceived strategy to engage clinicians and participants in a trial can make or break a study, doing far more than ensuring regulatory compliance. Implemented successfully, such a strategy helps improve both comprehension and trust. Clinicians and patients are more engaged when their communication needs are met. An experienced, specialized LSP like Vistatec uses sophisticated tools and proven strategies to help you maintain the same high standard across languages and cultures.
If your goal is to get it right, book a consultation today to discuss how best to meet the needs of your audience(s).