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Translating a clinical trial consent form can cost over $10,000 — a barrier that shuts out millions of patients with limited English proficiency. A new study in JCO Oncology Practice found that AI tools like ChatGPT can translate these complex documents with near-gold-standard accuracy. Researchers say AI won't replace human reviewers yet, but it could make clinical trials far more inclusive at a fraction of the cost.
Translating a clinical trial informed consent form into another language can cost upward of $10,000 — a price tag that many investigator-initiated trials simply can't afford. The result? Patients with limited English proficiency (LEP), who make up roughly 8% of the U.S. population, are routinely excluded from potentially life-saving research. A new study published in JCO Oncology Practice set out to find a cheaper fix.
Researchers tested three large language models — ChatGPT-4o, DeepL Pro, and Med_English2-Spanish — against translations produced by a certified translation firm (the "gold standard"). Two bilingual oncologists scored each translation across five domains on a 1–5 scale. ChatGPT came out on top, nearly matching the certified firm's output.
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Why it matters: Clinical trial diversity isn't just an ethical goal — it's a legal requirement for NIH-funded research. AI-assisted translation could dramatically lower the cost barrier, helping bring underrepresented populations into trials and making research findings more broadly applicable. Researchers caution that human review is still essential, but the technology is closer to ready than many expected.
