Leicester researchers worked with public contributors, community organisations and clinicians to create multilingual information videos designed to make clinical research more accessible to diverse communities.
The approach was developed as part of the LifeMap-QUEST study, which is evaluating a new diagnostic system to identify people at risk of sudden cardiac death. The work highlights how involving communities directly in research design can help remove barriers that prevent some groups from taking part in clinical studies.
Recruiting diverse participants into clinical trials remains a major challenge. Language barriers, complex written information and a lack of trust in research can all discourage people from participating. In cities such as Leicester, where many residents speak South Asian languages, these barriers can be particularly significant.
To address this, the LifeMap-QUEST team worked closely with Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) Advisory Group and the community organisation South Asian Health Action (SAHA) and cardiology consultants to develop short participant information videos in English, Gujarati and Hindi.
PPI Co-applicant, David Batchelor highlighted that the idea came from the PPI Advisory Group which was “most diverse group he had ever worked with in the 12 years of PPI contributions”. He added that “for healthcare to be fair and equitable, the involvement of people from different backgrounds is needed”.
The videos explain the study and what participation involves using a simple “talking-head” format designed to feel friendly and approachable. By presenting the information in multiple languages and in a visual format, the team aimed to make the study easier to understand for people whose first language is not English.
Kirit Mistry, Founder and Lead for Health Inequalities at SAHA added, “The project used a co-production approach, meaning public contributors and SAHA worked alongside researchers throughout the process. Contributors helped shape the wording of scripts, reviewed translations, and provided feedback on the final videos to ensure they were culturally appropriate and easy to follow”.
Researchers initially explored using artificial intelligence tools to translate patient information, but community reviewers found that the translations were too technical and difficult for everyday speakers to understand. Instead, the team used a collaborative translation process involving native speakers, community partners and cardiology consultants who spoke the languages to ensure both accuracy and clarity.
Louise Fairgrieve, Communication Support for the Institute for Precision Health at the University of Leicester, worked with the LifeMap-QUEST team and patient advocates to film and edit the interviews, graphics and additional footage used in the videos.
Feedback from the PPI Advisory Group suggested the videos were clear, engaging and culturally sensitive. Contributors highlighted the friendly tone, accessible explanations and use of images as strengths, while also suggesting improvements to sound quality and visual timing before the final versions were completed.
The project demonstrates the value of working closely with communities when designing research materials. Rather than relying solely on written information or technical translations, involving people with lived experience helped ensure the videos reflected the language, cultural context and communication styles of the communities they were designed to reach.
The team hope their approach will encourage other research groups to consider similar methods when developing participant information materials, particularly for studies aiming to include under-represented communities.
Find out more:
Study link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40900-026-00858-9
Citation:
Clayton, D.C., Nicolson, W.B., Anthony, S., Hobson, R. and Ng, G.A., 2026. PPI in LifeMap-QUEST: an example of co-producing videos in different languages to support inclusion in a clinical study. Research Involvement and Engagement.
Link to South Asian Health Action: https://www.sahauk.org