Most of all, communication needs to be in the language(s) of the people/country. Of course, we strive to translate from English to or other languages into English for LMIC at least abstracts but this does not necessarily happen in Europe, hence even in high income countries evidence is not necessarily translated. I realise there are many variables why communication is not effective but I have just been travelling through Germany, Denmark and Greece and am amazed how much evidence based published literature with important outcomes for maternity care is not understood or implemented. My guess one reason this is so that those results were only published in English or other languages. In particular I noticed, People spoke and understood conversational English well, but when it came to academic and research words, many were at a loss. Reading an academic article in English as a second language needs sufficient research vocabulary and takes time to translate by the individual. For a simple example, the routine giving of an enema during labour has clearly shown no benefits, but can cause anxiety for the labouring woman etc. These were valid research results a long time ago but only published/communicated in English it seems. I do realise there are many variables affecting communication and the transfer of knowledge into practice, but let’s start with the mantra I often use: ‘the language of the heart (first language) is what speaks to the heart’ and only that will effect long lasting change’. If translation work or translators for oral communication are too expensive, then maybe we need to offer focussed academic/research English or other language courses.
HIFA profile: Ruth Martis is a registered midwife, who holds a PhD from the Liggins Institute, The University of Auckland, New Zealand. Her research centred on glycaemic targets and experiences for women with GDM. Currently she is the Head of the Midwifery School at the Waikato Institute of Technology, Hamilton, New Zealand and a locum midwife for remote rural areas in New Zealand. She is passionate about midwifery education, physiological birth, impact of fear in childbirth, newborn examination, neonatal resuscitation, intermittent auscultation, fetal movements in labour, teenage pregnancies, lactation, gestational diabetes, knowledge transfer and research synthesis and refugee health. Ruth is a Cochrane systematic review author of several reviews. She was involved in the five year SEA-ORCHID research project as clinical educator in South East Asia.
