When Words Become a Barrier to Research
Rare disease research comes with a unique set of challenges, especially when it comes to reaching patients around the world. Communities affected by rare conditions are often underserved, geographically dispersed, and hindered by language and regulatory barriers. For Across Healthcare, whose Matrix platform was designed to unify and engage these communities in research, reaching patients in their native languages was not optional. It was essential.
Localization involved more than just translation. It required accurate and culturally appropriate healthcare content, including patient surveys and research questionnaires. It also meant working within a customized digital environment while managing legacy content of inconsistent quality. As the platform expanded into more regions, Across Healthcare needed a language partner with both the scale and expertise to support them while maintaining quality and compliance.
Building Trust with Human Expertise and Seamless Integration
BIG Language Solutions began working with Across Healthcare in 2023, starting with Hebrew and Japanese. As global engagement with the Matrix platform grew, new languages were added in 2024, including Portuguese for Brazil, Simplified Chinese, Italian, German, Korean, French for France, Latin American Spanish, Dutch for the Netherlands, and Russian. More languages are expected to follow.
BIG’s approach went beyond translation. The team tailored its process to work within the Matrix environment, allowing linguists to conduct in-context quality checks directly on the platform. This additional layer of review helped identify poor-quality legacy translations and allowed BIG to elevate content standards. By embedding this into their workflow, linguists and project managers ensured that each piece of content, from life sciences documentation to market research tools, met rigorous quality and compliance expectations.
BIG’s strength in both medical translation and patient-centered communication helped make the content both clinically accurate and accessible to caregivers and patients. The team’s adaptability and subject matter expertise positioned them to deliver consistent, effective results.
Local Voices Creating Global Impact
With support from BIG, the Matrix platform now serves patients and researchers in 137 countries. When Brazilian Portuguese was added, user engagement in Brazil increased noticeably, showing the immediate impact of localized access. The platform now reaches previously underserved and undiagnosed populations, bringing them into the global conversation around rare disease research.
The collaboration has become strategic. BIG provides not only high-quality translations but also ongoing consultation and process improvements that help Matrix remain trusted and inclusive.
“The moment we made Matrix available in Portuguese, we saw the platform light up. That is the power of language in action. BIG has been a true partner in making our mission of global patient engagement a reality,” said Jason Colquitt, CEO of Across Healthcare.
Language Access That Drives Participation and Progress
Across Healthcare and BIG Language Solutions continue to grow their collaboration. New language additions, broader outreach, and stronger global partnerships are on the horizon. Together, they are expanding what is possible in rare disease research through the power of language.
If your organization is navigating complex global communications, BIG Language Solutions can help. With expertise across more than 300 languages and a deep understanding of healthcare, research, and regulatory standards, we deliver language access solutions that are accurate, scalable, and tailored to your needs. Connect with us to learn how we can support your mission with translation, interpretation, and localization services that empower your audience and accelerate your goals.
Ready to expand your research or patient engagement globally? Let’s talk. BIG Language Solutions helps life sciences and healthcare teams deliver compliant, culturally relevant content at scale, from surveys and questionnaires to full platform localization.
Connect with us to see how we can support your mission.
