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How well do doctors understand a scientific article in English when it is not their first language? A randomised
Martine Rostadmo1, Siri Lunde Strømme2, Magne Nylenna3,4
1The Journal of The Norwegian Medical Association, Oslo, Norway martine.rostadmo@tidsskriftet.no.
BMJ Open
|June 11, 2021
Summary
Doctors comprehended scientific articles better in their native Norwegian than in English. This suggests the language gap in academic publishing is bridgeable, even with modest differences.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Scientific Communication
- Linguistics in Medicine
Background:
- English is the global scientific lingua franca, yet few doctors are native English speakers.
- Effective understanding of medical literature is vital for clinical practice and knowledge advancement.
- Language barriers can impede access to and comprehension of crucial scientific findings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the comprehension of a scientific article by doctors when read in their native language (Norwegian) versus a second language (English).
- To investigate the impact of language on doctors' ability to understand scientific content.
- To assess the feasibility of overcoming language barriers in scientific literature consumption.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial involving 130 Norwegian doctors.
- Participants were assigned to read the same clinical review article in either Norwegian or English.
- Comprehension was assessed via a questionnaire after a limited reading time.
Main Results:
- Doctors reading the article in Norwegian achieved a higher mean score (10.40) compared to those reading in English (9.08).
- The mean difference in comprehension was statistically significant (1.32, p=0.046).
- Older age was associated with decreased comprehension.
Conclusions:
- While statistically significant, the difference in comprehension between Norwegian and English was modest.
- The findings suggest that language barriers in academic science are surmountable.
- Strategies to enhance comprehension across different language proficiencies are warranted.
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