Multilingual Ethics in Clinical Trial Communication with Participants in India

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.63345/ijrsml.v13.i9.2

Dr Pushpa Singh

IILM University

Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201306, India

Abstract

Multilingual communication is a cornerstone of ethical clinical trial conduct, particularly in linguistically diverse contexts such as India. Ensuring that participants fully understand all aspects of a study—notably its purpose, procedures, risks, and benefits—is both a regulatory requirement and an ethical imperative. However, language barriers, cultural nuances, and varying literacy levels can hinder truly informed consent and ongoing participant engagement. This manuscript examines the ethical dimensions of multilingual communication with clinical trial participants in India, reviewing existing guidelines, regulatory frameworks, and empirical studies. We conducted a mixed‑methods clinical research study across five trial sites in four Indian states—Telangana, Maharashtra, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu—enrolling 300 adult participants from Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, and Tamil language backgrounds. Using standardized procedures for translation and back‑translation of informed consent documents, coupled with participant comprehension assessments and focus‑group discussions, we evaluated comprehension rates, participant satisfaction, and instances of miscommunication. Our findings reveal that: (1) translation alone is insufficient—contextual adaptation and culturally tailored explanations significantly improve understanding; (2) multimedia consent aids (videos, pictograms) enhance comprehension among participants with limited literacy; and (3) ongoing verbal reinforcement by multilingual study staff reduces dropout rates and misunderstandings. We discuss practical recommendations for ethics committees, sponsors, and investigators, including: (a) early involvement of professional translators and cultural mediators; (b) piloting consent materials with target populations; and (c) integrating iterative feedback loops throughout trial conduct. The study underscores the necessity of a holistic, participant‑centered approach to multilingual ethics in clinical trials, with implications for policy harmonization and future research in global health settings.

Keywords

Multilingual communication; clinical trials; informed consent; ethics; India; translation; cultural adaptation; participant comprehension

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