6 Tips on Getting the Best Medical Translation Every Time
By: Salman Saeed Posted on Tue, 03-10-2023
When it comes to the world of the medical profession, accuracy is one of the most crucial aspects. Especially when we talk about getting medical translation services. In fact, oftentimes, one word has several meanings associated with it. Only a professional medical translator has the expertise to know which meaning applies where.
In the healthcare sector, medical translation is a process in which content material is translated from one language to another. In order to provide information to speakers of different languages, medical translation is essential. Patients and medical practitioners can easily obtain information in their own language in this way.
However, getting medical translation services can bring a lot of hassle and become a challenging task. To avoid that, we have come up with some tips that will assist you in getting top-notch translations always. Following are the tips:
1. Find Experienced and Integrative Translators
When searching for medical translators, it is important to assess their past experience and portfolio. A portfolio usually contains samples from their previous experiences and lets you know the types of projects they have worked on.
Just being well-versed in the medical field is not enough for a critical job like this. A well-trained and experienced translator can truly do justice to the job at hand. Some of the other factors are as follows:
- ISO Certifications: Medical translation service providers ought to be ISO-certified and have a solid track record. While track records are considerably more important, ISO certificates help you in analyzing whether the company that specializes in medical translation services has expertise in collaborating with international regulatory bodies. This way, they can guarantee that the translations they provide adhere to all relevant criteria.
- Holistic Translators: These experts are always favored when selecting a medical translation service provider because translating calls for a diverse set of skills. Qualified professional teams have comprehensive skills with an awareness of how to manage specialized areas of content.
You should also keep in mind the complexity of scientific literature; a novice should not attempt to translate without assistance. Highly qualified translators are crucial for the success of your project.
2. Considering the Readers’ Perspective
Most patients do not understand medical terms nor are they as well versed as medical professionals. It is crucial to take into consideration the general literacy rate of your region when opting for medical translation services.
To explain this concept, the term ‘Health Literacy’ is used in linguistic terms. It means that most of the patients do not have the expertise to understand complex concepts. Moreover, it is particularly imperative for medical researchers and publications to get top-notch translation services so they can help the targeted patients and their families.
3. Word of Mouth Recommendations
Instead of experimenting with new medical translators, it is best to reach out to friends and co-workers for referrals. It will help you in choosing a trustworthy medical translation service.
If you already work with a medical translator for one language pair and you need to translate your medical materials into additional language pairs, you can ask them for a referral. Due to the close-knit community of the translation profession, they probably know someone who would be a good fit.
4. Ensure That the Agency Offers Localization
When it comes to translation services, only literal translation is not enough. Especially in the case of medical translation, the work is way more nuanced. For the project to be successful, the translator needs to understand your target market and localize the content accordingly.
Without appropriate localization, there is a high risk of the message not getting through or getting lost in translation without appropriate localization. For example, the USA audience has different linguistic requirements than the UAE audience. So, make sure that you choose a company with relevant localization expertise to guarantee the highest rate of accuracy and success of your project.
5. Tentative Turn-Around Time
Depending on how fast you require the documents, you need to ask for a tentative timeline for your project. Of course, the exact submission time may increase or decrease depending on the complexities of the project. Still, it is good to have a time frame in mind. As it will aid you in streamlining the rest of the details.
To get an idea of how long it will take to translate, and if the company you are considering is able to meet that deadline, you can ask for a quote on your project. In addition, many companies have the option of paying a small extra fee for faster delivery, which may be something to consider when choosing a translation company, if you know you will need a very fast turnaround.
6. Assign A Sample Task
Once you have chosen a translation agency to deal with your medical and healthcare content and you have checked its expertise in the area, you can assign a small sample task. The aim is to monitor the way that translation tasks are carried out by medical translators and to assess whether the translations are correct. It can save you a lot of trouble down the road.
You can check for any errors or inconsistencies in translation and finalize whether you want to go ahead with them or look for another agency. It would be better if you shortlist more than one agency just so you have a backup plan.
Final Words
As we all know medical needs are universal and everyone deserves to have the best healthcare services. Translating your medical content can cover the communication gap so that everyone from around the globe has access to the latest healthcare.
Moreover, medical translation services are not something to be taken lightly. Since the health and lives of patients depend on the accurate translation and usage of the information given
Thus, the above-listed factors can work as a guideline when opting for medical translation services. However, it would be wise to keep in mind that the factors may change depending on your specific project.
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