Healthcare translations for Arabic speakers in Australia: impact of language variety and dissemination medium

For healthcare information to be accessible and effective, both quality translations and their effective dissemination are necessary. This article investigates the dissemination of healthcare translations in the diglossic context of Arabic speakers in Australia and the impact that dissemination medium and Arabic variant have on comprehension and intent. Four groups of Arabic speakers with low English proficiency were exposed to one of the following options and asked to complete a print questionnaire: (1) brochure in Modern Standard Arabic; (2) brochure in Lebanese Arabic; (3) video awareness material in Modern Standard Arabic; and (4) video awareness material in Lebanese Arabic. This was followed by discussions with three focus groups on the strengths and weaknesses of the four dissemination options. The findings show that most participants prefer to receive health messaging through audiovisual resources in Modern Standard Arabic, but content comprehension is higher when information is provided in print.