The Role Of Language Translation In Clinical Trials

By Matthias Steiert, Ph.D., Elanna Mariniello, B.A., and Afaf Steiert, M.Sc.

Nowadays, clinical trials are governed by strict guidelines, a declaration outlining standardized ethical practices, mountains of paperwork, a heavy review process, and the ability to affect a multibillion dollar pharmaceutical industry. Every new drug must go through a clinical trial, Patient Reported Outcomes (PROs) must be evaluated, and the drug deemed safe for humans to consume and doctors to prescribe. The failure to do so within the ethical and specified guidelines could result in serious health risks, including patient fatality. Thus, designing and implementing a well-designed clinical trial is critical.