Health Literacy in Translation: Giving Patients the Words to Take Part in Their Own Care

In global healthcare, communication is no longer a one-way street. Patients and caregivers across the world expect—and deserve—to understand their diagnoses, their options, their risks, and their treatments. Yet healthcare content is often written in highly technical language, shaped by scientific conventions that prioritize precision over accessibility.

This is where health literacy–focused translation becomes not just a linguistic task, but an ethical one. And when done well, it empowers shared decision-making: the process in which patients, together with clinicians, actively participate in choices about their own care.

In this article, we explore how translation supports health literacy, why this matters across cultures, and what shared decision-making really requires from linguists and medical communicators.

What Health Literacy Means in a Multilingual World

Health literacy is not simply “reading ability”—it is the ability to understand, process, and use health information to make informed decisions. This includes:

• Understanding diagnoses and conditions

• Interpreting risks and benefits

• Following instructions and safety guidance

• Knowing what questions to ask

• Feeling confident enough to participate in care decisions

When health information crosses borders and languages, new layers of complexity emerge: cultural norms, levels of education, readability expectations, formatting preferences, and even the tone of voice.

High-quality translation reduces these barriers. Poor translation reinforces them.

Why Standard Clinical Language Fails Global Patients

Clinical content often relies on:

• Long, nested sentences

• Latin- or Greek-derived terminology

• Ambiguous or hedged language (e.g., “may be associated with”)

• Implicit assumptions (e.g., “talk to your healthcare provider”)

• Region-specific health behaviors

Even in its original language, this can be challenging for patients. When translated literally, the issues multiply: loss of meaning, unnecessary complexity, and grammatical structures that do not align with the target language’s natural flow.

For example:

• Risk phrases may need cultural adaptation to express urgency without fear.

• Dosage instructions may need clarity to avoid misinterpretation.

• Anatomical or physiological terms may need reformulation into plain language without compromising accuracy.

Translators working with patient-facing content must master this balance.

Cultural Context: The Missing Ingredient in Health Literacy

Health literacy is shaped not just by language but by culture.

Consider how different cultures perceive:

• medical authority (trusting, questioning, deferential, collaborative)

• direct vs. indirect communication

• the appropriateness of discussing illness openly

• family involvement in care

• stigma around specific conditions

A patient leaflet in one country may empower a patient to ask questions; in another, it may unintentionally create confusion or appear disrespectful.

This is why cultural competence is a core component of health-literacy translation. It requires awareness of:

✔ idioms and metaphors
✔ reading conventions
✔ numeric comprehension
✔ tone (formal/informal)
✔ regional health behaviors
✔ social expectations around decision-making

Shared Decision-Making: Giving Patients the Words to Participate

Shared decision-making (SDM) is more than a trend—it’s a global shift in healthcare. SDM means:

Patients and clinicians working together to choose tests, treatments, and care plans, based on evidence and on the patient’s preferences and values.

But SDM cannot happen when patients do not understand the information provided to them.
Translation plays a critical role in making SDM possible.

To support SDM, translated content must provide:

Clear explanations of the condition
Without jargon or assumptions.

Balanced descriptions of risks and benefits
Using language that patients can interpret meaningfully.

Structured comparisons between treatment options
Including what matters most to people: cost, side effects, burden of treatment, lifestyle fit.

Actionable prompts
What to ask. What to expect. What to report.

Respectful tone
Encouraging patients to express preferences, not simply comply.

Support for caregivers
Who often become co-decision-makers in chronic conditions or pediatric care.

Plain-Language Strategies for Health-Literacy Translation

Effective health-literacy translation requires:

✔ Short, well-structured sentences

Break long clinical statements into manageable units.

✔ Common vocabulary with precise meaning

Use plain language equivalents whenever medically safe.

✔ Consistent terminology

Patients should never wonder whether two different terms mean the same thing.

✔ Cultural adaptation of examples, metaphors, and decision aids

Ensure the content resonates with real-life scenarios in the target region.

✔ Layered information

Start with essentials, then expand for those who want more detail.

✔ Visual and formatting clarity

Bullets, headings, white space, and simple diagrams dramatically improve understanding.

These strategies help transform technical, complex content into a form patients can use—not just read.

The Role of Qualified Linguists in Health Literacy

Health-literacy translation is multifaceted and requires:

• Expertise in medical content

• Awareness of cultural context

• Sensitivity to patient experiences

• Knowledge of regulatory requirements

• The ability to rewrite without distorting meaning

It is not simply translation—it is education, risk reduction, and patient empowerment all at once.

Investing in this expertise improves:
✔ adherence
✔ safety
✔ patient satisfaction
✔ quality of care
✔ health outcomes

These are not linguistic benefits; they are clinical ones.

Conclusion: Better Words Lead to Better Care

Health literacy is no longer optional in global healthcare—it is a determinant of health.
And translation is how health literacy travels across borders.

When we give patients and caregivers the words they need, we give them:

• understanding

• confidence

• participation

• safety

• improved outcomes

Shared decision-making begins with shared meaning.
That is the power of health-literacy-focused translation.