New Standards Set in Translating Health Materials

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As of the 2011 census, there are over 25 million people in the United States had limited English proficiency. This includes people born outside and inside the United States. Spanish is still the most spoken language in the U.S. after English. There is also an increase in other non-English languages and the U.S. is seeing a great movement towards diversification.

This population shift has greatly impacted health equity and health literacy. There is literally a lack of ability to effectively communicate health care ideas and strategies to many of the patients who need the information the most. One strategy formed to address this issue has been translating health materials used by healthcare providers.

While this seems on the surface a simple solution, the issue is not as straightforward as it appears. Translating from one language to the next does not always allow for the same translation of reading levels. There is currently limited research about adapting translated health materials for non-English speakers.

The World Health Organization (WHO) states that the goal of translating and adapting is to “achieve different language versions of the English instrument that are conceptually equivalent in each of the target countries and cultures.” Messages in health promotion materials should reflect health beliefs and practices of their intended audiences.

In the 20-plus years of translating materials from English, authors have consistently found that there was a clear disparity between the source material and the translation. There are also cultural disparities when translating from English.

The National Academy of Medicine is promoting a collection of new standards for translating materials was crafted to ensure equity. These include: translations by trained professionals, plain language adaptations, field testing with the intended audience, and cultural adaptations, which means correcting for cultural appropriateness.