Article type
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Abstract
Background: it is estimated that there are around 6000 languages in the world. In science, the main form of propagation of knowledge occurs through the English language. However, 75% of the world population does not have the expertise to speak, write or read English, which may delay the spread of information from interventions that can assist in making important health decisions. The lack of accessibility to information amplifies inequalities. Thus, Cochrane has included in its Strategy for 2020 "accessibility and usefulness of evidence for all, everywhere in the world." To achieve this goal, Cochrane aims to translate important contents through the 'multi-lingual' plan into the other five official languages according to the World Health Organization: French, Chinese, Spanish, Russian, and Arabic. Cochrane collaborators have been working on the translations of Abstracts and Plain language summaries and on the production of podcasts in order to make the best evidence accessible to as many professionals, managers, and patients/consumers as possible, including the most diverse languages and physical and socioeconomic conditions.
Objectives: identify whether the 10 most read Cochrane Library reviews in the month of April have translations of Abstracts, Plain language summaries, and podcasts into the other five official languages according to the World Health Organization.
Methods: we searched the CENTRAL database to identify the 10 most read systematic reviews on 1 April, 2019. Two researchers tracked the 10 most widely read reviews and checked whether their summaries and Plain language summaries had translations into the languages proposed in the Strategy to 2020: French, Chinese, Spanish, Russian, Arabic; and whether the podcast was available in the same languages described above.
Results: among the abstracts of the 10 most read systematic reviews in Cochrane CENTRAL, only 40% were available in the French language, 20% in Chinese, 30% in Spanish and there was no translation to the Russian and Arabic languages. As for the Plain language summaries, only 40% of them were available in French, 40% in Chinese, 30% in Spanish, 30% in Russian and there was no translation to Arabic. Only one English podcast was available synthesizing the results of one of the 10 reviews.
Conclusions: the majority of the most read systematic reviews do not have Abstract translations and Plain language summaries for the five other official languages. No podcast is available in the other five languages. In the future, to facilitate interpretation and decision-making in health, it is important that the most widely read reviews are primarily translated into the other five official languages.
Patient or healthcare consumer involvement: the mission of disseminating information by translations can bring patients access to high-quality information, as well as the possibility of discussing better treatments with health professionals.
Objectives: identify whether the 10 most read Cochrane Library reviews in the month of April have translations of Abstracts, Plain language summaries, and podcasts into the other five official languages according to the World Health Organization.
Methods: we searched the CENTRAL database to identify the 10 most read systematic reviews on 1 April, 2019. Two researchers tracked the 10 most widely read reviews and checked whether their summaries and Plain language summaries had translations into the languages proposed in the Strategy to 2020: French, Chinese, Spanish, Russian, Arabic; and whether the podcast was available in the same languages described above.
Results: among the abstracts of the 10 most read systematic reviews in Cochrane CENTRAL, only 40% were available in the French language, 20% in Chinese, 30% in Spanish and there was no translation to the Russian and Arabic languages. As for the Plain language summaries, only 40% of them were available in French, 40% in Chinese, 30% in Spanish, 30% in Russian and there was no translation to Arabic. Only one English podcast was available synthesizing the results of one of the 10 reviews.
Conclusions: the majority of the most read systematic reviews do not have Abstract translations and Plain language summaries for the five other official languages. No podcast is available in the other five languages. In the future, to facilitate interpretation and decision-making in health, it is important that the most widely read reviews are primarily translated into the other five official languages.
Patient or healthcare consumer involvement: the mission of disseminating information by translations can bring patients access to high-quality information, as well as the possibility of discussing better treatments with health professionals.
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