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You've spent hours getting your plain language summary right: it's accurate, jargon-free, and genuinely readable. But a PDF only reaches people who can find it, read it, and understand your language. With a little help from AI, the same PLS can become an audio version someone listens to on a commute and a set of translations that open it up to patients and caregivers worldwide. Here's a simple workflow -
Why audio and translation matter for plain language summaries
The whole point of a plain language summary is accessibility. Audio helps people who have visual impairment, low literacy, or just prefer to listen. Translation reaches the large share of patients and caregivers who do not read English comfortably. Both extend the reach of work you have already done, which is often the cheapest way to increase real-world impact.
Step 1: Finalize the written summary first
Audio and translation are only as good as the source text. Start from a clean, reviewed summary. If you want a repeatable structure for writing one, our Plain Language Summary Playbook walks through it step-by-step.
Step 2: Generate a natural sounding audio version
We use ElevenLabs to turn the finished summary into clear, natural narration. Paste in your text, pick a voice, and export an audio file you can host alongside the PDF. A few tips: read the draft aloud yourself first to catch awkward phrasing, and always listen back for mispronounced drug names and technical terms, which AI narration can get wrong.
Step 3: Translate for a wider audience
The same tool can dub and translate narration into other languages, so a single summary can serve multiple patient communities. Treat machine translation as a strong first draft: where stakes are high, have a fluent speaker or qualified translator review the medical terms before you publish.
Step 4: Publish and link everything together
Host the audio and translated versions next to the original PDF, and add a short line inviting readers to listen or choose their language. Small touches like this signal that the summary was made for patients, not just for compliance.
A quick note on accuracy
AI speeds up production; it does not replace judgment. Keep your normal medical, legal, and regulatory review in place, and check that narration and translation preserve meaning, not just words.
Want the writing framework that makes the rest of this easy? Start with the Plain Language Summary Playbook, then use ElevenLabs to bring it to more people in more formats.