When it comes to healthcare translation, the quality of medical care is at stake. From identifying symptoms to receiving informed consent, healthcare professionals carry the burden of ensuring they understand and are understood by their patients.
High-quality language services are particularly important for hospitals and clinics operating in culturally and linguistically diverse countries, such as the UAE. In fact, only 3 UAE residents out of 10 are native Arabic speakers, and only 70% speak fluent English.
Accuracy is the Top Priority
In medical translation, accuracy is not optional. It’s a MUST. A single changed or missing word in a doctor’s note, for example, can have negative effects on the quality of the medical care, putting patients’ lives at risk.
Studies show that there is a high chance of costly and preventable medical errors unless hospitals are properly equipped to serve all their patients — and in the languages they speak. The quality of language services in hospitals and clinics can sometimes determine the outcome of health care. According to the Journal of Specialized Translation, 63% of mistakes made by medical interpreters have potential clinical consequences. In this scenario, bilingual hospital staff and patients’ relatives cannot enable up-to-standard communication, as they do not possess adequate training and expertise. In worst-case scenarios, the work of amateur interpreters could lead to catastrophic outcomes.
The Perks of Good Medical Translations
While linguistic mistakes can lead to adverse clinical consequences and poor medical care, good translations, on the other hand, have several advantages:
- Reduced costs, with shorter stays in emergency rooms
- An increase in customer satisfaction.
- Fewer days spent in the hospital and lower chances of readmission.
- Reduced Legal Exposure. Accurate medical translations shield companies from legal liabilities and regulatory challenges.
Language Services for Hospitals and Clinics
There are some crucial qualities that hospitals and clinics should look for when on the market for trusted language service providers:
- Efficient customer care with a single point of contact: Most language service providers collaborate with hundreds of professionals in order to offer a vast array of options. Channeling the hospital’s requests through a single person or department is the most efficient way to get things done while saving time and money;
- Proven expertise and quality: Translation agencies choose the best collaborators in every field so that project managers can rely on subject matter experts for specialized translations. Language sErvice Providers (LSPs) also offer faster turnaround and more efficient processes;
- Considering health literacy: Not all patients possess the same command of specific medical terminology. Expert translators and interpreters can take into account these elements to provide tailor-made language services.
- Consistency: Thanks to translation technologies, LSPs can offer consistent quality and terminology throughout hospital forms and documentation, saving resources, and improving quality.
Langpros Healthcare Translations
Langpros strives to provide all-round language services to clinics and hospitals.
We will take care of every aspect of your translation needs: from advertisement, marketing material, or content localization, to specialized medical texts such as scientific papers, clinical protocols, prescriptions, forms, aftercare instructions, product labels, and many more. Our language experts are ready to provide your patients with translated texts they can understand, and our certified translators will help you develop a multilingual and culturally sensitive array of text targeted to the general public, or help you translate your website, reflecting your commitment to the highest quality of care for your community.
At Langpros, we help hospitals extend their current offerings to improve patient care and patient outcomes for all foreign-language speakers.
