Best Practices for Healthcare Translation That Will Save You Time & Money

One of the sectors using translation services most frequently is the medical, more commonly known as the healthcare industry. However, it is one of the most challenging sectors to translate for, but executing it properly can help save lives. Not just from a language and technical aspect but also from a legal perspective, accuracy is important. The number of papers that need to be translated, the rules that must be followed, and the diversity of moving elements is all considered. The credibility of the medical practice, patient safety, and strong support for people who speak little English or non-English speaking patients must all be maintained at all times.

Common Healthcare Translation Problems

When it comes to translating information for LEP (Limited English Proficiency) patient education, there are a number of common problems.

1. There are no cultural considerations in the translation.
2. The materials have been translated, although not in accordance with established linguistic conventions.
3. The text is too difficult for the target audience to understand.
4. Significant translation mistakes or errors can be found in the translated text.

If this is your first time requesting the translation for any medical institution, the entire procedure could seem intimidating. In order to assist you in keeping your medical translation services under control and begin going in the correct direction for saving money and your precious time, we've shared some of the best practices for translation for healthcare industry in this blog post.

Best Practices for Healthcare Translation

Here are seven fundamental recommended practices for the medical interpreters and the translation process. The majority of the time, they can assist in ensuring accurate translations of medical device documentation.

1. Perform an Internal Needs Analysis

Asking the following important questions is one of the best practices for healthcare translation before you locate a capable and experienced Language Services Provider (LSP) for your requirements:

• What languages are you working with?
• What types of file formats are the materials in?
• What kinds of documents would you require translation services for?
• What rules must you abide by?

Not every kind of patient education material needs translation. Some materials are more effectively communicated verbally with an medical interpreter without any written medical interpretation.

2. Consider Cultural Sensitivity while Translating For Message

The challenge with even the most basic document translation software is that it translates a document word for word. Some words cannot be used in all languages because their meanings are not comparable. Rather, the objective should always be to translate for meaning by examining the significance of a word or phrase and translating in accordance with that notion.
Another aspect that needs to be taken into account is cultural sensitivity. The usage of the appropriate expressions and terminology is ensured by using a medical interpreter who has some familiarity with the culture they are translating for. In order to communicate with patients who speak different languages and cross cultural barriers, accurate remote medical translation and interpretation are essential.

3. Take Care of Precision & Consistency

First and foremost, medical documents should be truthful and utilize standard wording. Any mistakes might be harmful to the patient's health and the reputation of the hospital. This will be made possible in big extent by the glossary and style guide you offered to ensure accuracy. In order to maximise the administration of medical terms and check the quality assurance process, the LSP will put up the glossary within a specialised translation (CAT) tool.
It's crucial to remember that a real quality indication of an appropriate medical translation requires equivalency rather than a literal translation. Equivalence seeks to provide a translation that is as close to the original as possible and provides the greatest potential for full understanding. Only by exclusively collaborating with subject-matter specialists can a product of this calibre be produced by a medical interpreter.

4. Increase Your Understanding of Language Service Providers (LSP)

Learn everything you can about the price, the translation process, and the quality assurance protocols of the LSP you choose. Prepare a list of the concerns you need the LSP to address, such as inquiries on the credentials and testing of the translators, the security of the data, and the proper turnaround times. Any credible LSP or medical interpreters will be eager to respond to your inquiries, collaborate with you, and guide you through the translation of your papers.
This is the most effective approach to gaining knowledge about translation, building a long-lasting relationship, and adhering to the finest translation standards in the healthcare industry.

5. Select a seasoned and a specialized language services provider

In most cases, the ideal method for content translation is to use qualified translators from language service providers. Medical translation is unlike any other; any misunderstanding or error can have serious repercussions. You run the danger of receiving incorrect translations and perhaps even legal action if you use multilingual or inexperienced staff to undertake translations.
In order to assure accuracy and consistency, it is necessary to have a particular level of cultural awareness, familiarity with linguistic idioms, and writing ability. Therefore, it is essential to work with qualified medical translators and interpretation services. Because often the target language is their primary language, professional translators have an advantage when it comes to comprehending the medical laws of the target country.

6. Strategize Your Translation Process

It is easier for all parties to progress through the process smoothly if a clear and specific timeframe is established at the outset. Together, you and your LSP may decide on your procedure, the processes that will be followed each time a document is translated, and the best way to handle your individual requirements. Additionally, be careful to indicate any text in a document that, due to ethical or legal considerations, cannot or ought not to be translated.
By doing this, you can be sure that the information will stay in its original language when it is translated. Last but not least, when planning, make sure you are familiar with the textual language into which the document has to be translated. It might save you time to double-check that the translation you are asking is to a written language because many languages are "spoken but not written" or "written but not spoken."

7. Proficient in Document Creation and Writing

When developing and producing your materials for healthcare industry, it's also a best practice in translation to keep your audience in mind. Write your materials at an elementary school reading level if your target audience does, and try to make the information as straightforward and uncomplicated as you can. When the time comes to have documents translated, this will also be helpful.
Even though it can involve a little more work, documents that must be produced in a specific manner to serve legal goals can nevertheless be written in plain language. It's essential to keep in mind that if the entire process of medical interpretation is called for to be at a given grade level like elementary school level , the English text must also be offered at that level

There is a huge requirement for qualified healthcare translation services. It has increased the need for process simplification in a qualitative way. One of the most crucial things you can do while giving care to patients is to entrust document translation to experts with linguistic proficiency and cultural understanding to ensure communications are transmitted without any discrepancies.

Select the Best Healthcare Translation Company

Not every medical language interpreters have the resources necessary to meet your medical translation demands. It is crucial to have medical professionals with regulatory requirements experience and knowledge of medical terminologies. Lingual Consultancy can assist with healthcare and medical document translation in multiple languages, allowing you to interact with people when it counts the most.

For any medical translation requirements, drop an e-mail at [email protected] or contact us.