Poster Presentation Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting 2026

Providing multilingual clinical trial information to support communication: A statewide initiative in NSW (#613)

Maria Mury 1 , Lindsey Jasicki 1 , Melissa Minett 1 , Brooke Stapleton 1 , Barbara Daveson 1
  1. Cancer Institute NSW, St Leonards, NSW, Australia

Introduction 

Equitable participation in cancer clinical trials remains a challenge in NSW. Between 2022 and 2024, participation among culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) populations was lower than the statewide average, highlighting potential barriers to awareness, communication and informed decision-making regarding clinical trial participation.

Service Description

To support access to clinical trial information, three easy-to-understand, culturally safe and responsive resources were developed in English for people affected by cancer, their families and carers and translated into 20 languages. The translated resources were designed to reduce language-related barriers to communication about clinical trials, support informed decision-making and contribute to more equitable access to research participation opportunities.

Evaluation

A mixed-methods evaluation examined the implementation, reach and early uptake of multilingual clinical trial information resources between January 2022 and June 2024. Quantitative measures included resource utilisation, clinical trial participation data and interpreter use. Qualitative feedback explored how resources were incorporated into clinical practice ad supported communication with CALD patients. 

Outcomes

  • Multilingual clinical trial information was accessed 326 times during the evaluation period
  • Three (20%) local health districts reported integrating the resources into clinical settings.
  • Qualitative feedback indicated resources were used to facilitate discussions about clinical trials with CALD patients and families, supporting communication regarding participation opportunities.
  • Interpreter use among trial participants increased from 2.7% to 3.5% during the evaluation period, suggesting growing recognition of communication support needs among CALD populations.

Conclusion

The evaluation demonstrates the feasibility of implementing multilingual clinical trial information resources at a statewide level to support communication with culturally and linguistically diverse populations. Early findings suggest that translated resources can be incorporated into clinical practice and may help address language-related barriers to understanding clinical trial opportunities. These finding support further investment in culturally responsive approaches to improve equity in clinical trial awareness and access across NSW.