If you need to have medical documentation translated into another language, that usually requires being more careful with your choice of translation service provider. Not all agencies on the market are the same – and when it comes to something as sensitive as healthcare, you have to ensure that you’re working with someone qualified and experienced.
Specialized translation services are rarer on the market – and for a good reason. There are various specific requirements that have to be fulfilled for a translation agency to be able to work on unique cases like medical translation. Let’s take a look at some of the most important reasons to look for a qualified service provider.
Ensure You’re on the Same Page with Your Patients
Medical work revolves largely around trust. And as the old saying goes, trust takes an eternity to build but only a moment to destroy. It only takes one incident for your patients to lose trust in you, and this can quickly take its toll on the performance of your practice.
That’s why you can’t afford to take any risks when it comes to translations, and you have to ensure that you’re always aligned with your patients about their current treatment and the upcoming steps. A good translation service provider will go beyond simply translating documents and responses back and forth – they will do their best to ensure that your patients have a deep understanding of what’s going on.
Provide Convenient Access to Your Documentation in a Localized Format
Many patient inquiries can usually be answered with a reference to your existing documentation. Of course, that only works if that documentation is available in the patient’s language in the first place. That’s not always the case, leading to some awkward situations where you have to constantly pull information out of your documentation and have it translated on the go.
This can be avoided by working with a translation agency to have all of that translated in advance. You likely already have an idea of the most popular languages among your patients from your own records, so you’ll know which ones to prioritize. After that, you might have to get the documentation translated into a few additional languages, but those will be more individual and isolated cases.
Inform Patients About Medication and Procedures Properly
Whenever a patient is about to undergo any kind of procedure, they must be informed about every aspect of the process. This is already difficult enough when working with patients in English, but it can get even more challenging when a language barrier is involved.
And in some cases, there are actually legal requirements attached to this. For example, consent forms must be signed with the full understanding of the patient. That’s why you need to provide translations to bridge any gaps on that front.
Work with Advanced Technology Without any Barriers
Modern medical solutions are often complex, even for experienced healthcare professionals. To the average patient, certain technologies can seem outright intimidating. That’s another reason to look into working with a specialized translation provider who understands the healthcare sector in depth.
This will allow you to prepare briefs that can help put your patients’ minds at ease, all without forcing you to go through complex explanation sessions. This will become more and more important as time goes by and new solutions appear on the horizon. Maintaining a comprehensive set of documentation for each of those solutions is going to be a challenge, but with the help of a good medical translation agency, you can reduce your workload significantly.
Maintain Privacy and Confidentiality
Medical translation isn’t just about the specialized knowledge that translators bring to the table. Working with a qualified medical translation service provider means that you don’t have to go out of your way to explain issues like privacy and confidentiality, and you can assume that the agency is already familiar with the expectations towards them in this regard.
Know That You Can Count on a Prompt Response
Another common problem in the healthcare sector is that you sometimes need a response immediately. When you’re dealing with a sensitive situation, you have to know that you can count on your translation service provider to offer you a prompt response. For example, you might notice that a specific form is missing from your documentation and it’s required for an upcoming procedure.
In those cases, you should focus on working with translation agencies with a proven track record in the healthcare sector. This will make it much more likely that they have already dealt with situations of this kind and they know exactly what’s expected of them at every step of the way.
Navigate Difficult Situations That Involve Cultural Differences
Translation is sometimes difficult not just because of the languages involved, but also due to cultural differences. Some statements have to be translated with a more sensitive approach, depending on who they’re intended to be read by. A reputable medical translation service provider should be well aware of that.
This may not come up that often in your work, but when it does, it must be handled with professionalism and sensitivity. One mistake can cost you a lot and could potentially ruin your reputation.
We’re Ready to Help You!
With all that in mind, we fully believe that The Language Doctors is your number-one partner for medical translation services on the market right now. Our expertise in the field is unmatched, and we only work with the best translators available in our area. We are always ready to assist you even during unusual hours, and our translation specialists are well aware of the special requirements of medical translation.
Final Thoughts
Don’t waste your time trying to adapt to the workflow of an ordinary translation agency if you need a specialized translation. You must make it a point to always work with qualified agencies that understand how the healthcare sector works in detail. Our unmatched expertise and our hands-on approach to our work are what sets us apart from our competition in this market. Call us for your quote today and see why everyone prefers to work with The Language Doctors!
