Language barriers significantly impact health-care access and quality, particularly in Ontario's diverse population. The 2016 Census revealed that 17.2% of residents spoke a language other than English or French at home, marking an increase from previous censuses. As far back as 2001, a federal report identified language as a crucial barrier to healthcare access and quality, affecting patient autonomy and decision-making.

Prenatal genetic screening, which assesses the chance of conditions like trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) and trisomy 18 (Edwards syndrome), requires pregnant individuals to understand complex information to make informed decisions. Language barriers can significantly hinder the accessibility and comprehension of this information for non-English or non-French speaking populations, impacting their ability to make informed choices about their prenatal care.

Multilingual Pamphlets

In response to this challenge, Prenatal Screening Ontario (PSO) launched a project to create multilingual prenatal genetic screening pamphlets. This resource aims to support pregnant individuals from diverse linguistic backgrounds in making informed decisions about their prenatal genetic screening options and results.

The project involved selecting the top languages spoken at home by females in Ontario, as identified in the 2016 Census, alongside English and French, and three commonly spoken Indigenous languages. PSO collaborated with the Ministry of Health, which funded the project. The translation process was meticulous, involving multiple translation firms and reviews by clinicians fluent in the target languages to ensure accuracy and cultural relevance.

In January 2023, PSO published the final pamphlet in 15 languages on their website: English, French, Arabic, Chinese (simplified and traditional), Cree, Inuktitut, Italian, Farsi, Ojibway, Punjabi, Spanish, Tagalog, Tamil, and Urdu.

As PSO expands its screening targets, it remains committed to engaging with pregnant individuals and communities to develop culturally sensitive and tailored content. PSO continues to explore innovative ways to bridge communication gaps, ensuring that pregnant individuals have access to the information they need.

Addressing language barriers in healthcare is essential for promoting equity and improving health outcomes. Through initiatives like the multilingual prenatal genetic screening pamphlet, PSO is making strides in ensuring that all pregnant individuals in Ontario, regardless of their language background, can access and understand vital health information.