The cost of consent document translation is a modifiable barrier to enrolling limited-English-proficiency patients in clinical trials

The expense of translating consent documents — borne by the investigator on a fixed per-patient budget in non-industry-sponsored trials, but covered by the sponsor in industry-sponsored trials — is a potentially modifiable barrier to the inclusion of patients with limited English proficiency in clinical trials. Where the sponsor pays, translation is provided more often and non-English speakers enrol more; where the investigator pays, translation and enrolment both fall.