Can a tablet break the language barrier in emergencies?
NCT ID NCT06322004
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether using a tablet for live video interpreting helps emergency doctors communicate with patients who don't speak the same language. Fifty awake adult patients with language barriers will be included. The researchers will measure how well the technology works, how easy it is to use, and whether it changes the doctor's diagnosis or treatment decisions.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- video-interpreting via tablet
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could show that video interpreting is a practical tool for emergency doctors to overcome language barriers, potentially improving care for non-native speakers.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small feasibility study with only 50 patients, so results may not apply broadly. Technical problems or patient refusal could limit its usefulness.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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About 50 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Feb 2023
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
50 responsive patients treated by prehospital emergency doctors of the Department of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care and Pain Management (Medical University of Vienna/ General Hospital of Vienna) with language barrier (14 languages Albanian, Dari, Romanian, Turkish, Modern Standard Arabic, Arabic, Farsi, Russian, Hungarian, Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian, Kurdish (Kurmanci), Slovakian, Bulgarian, Polish, and Czech) will be included regarding inclusion and exclusion criteria mentioned above.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * adult patients, at least 18 years old * awake, responsive patients * language barrier (Albanian, Dari, Romanian, Turkish, Modern Standard Arabic, Arabic, Farsi, Russian, Hungarian, Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian, Kurdish (Kurmanci), Slovakian, Bulgarian, Polish, and Czech) Exclusion Criteria: * unconscious patients * out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients * delay of treatment or transportation due to e-interpreting * refusal of video-interpreting by the patient
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Medical University of Vienna
RECRUITINGVienna, 1090, Austria
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