Medical translation service is not very popular as other forms of translation. Medical translation is a specialized branch of translation services that command higher fees. It is a niche translation service that allows the translator to work with doctors, healthcare providers, and various companies in the pharmaceutical industry, as well as manufacturers of medical devices.
Moreover, other people and organizations require medical translation services, such as students and professionals doing medical research, clinical trials, and other activities related to medicine and science.
Medical Translation Has Stricter Requirements
As medical translation requires subject matter expertise, the need for accuracy is higher. The service does not have room for mistakes, because even a small error can have a direct effect on many lives. It is one branch of translation where the process does not allow for substitutions and interpretations.
A medical translator should have exceptional translation skills, aside from possessing a deep familiarity with medical terminology. The translator should know the rules, regulations, laws, and protocols about medical equipment, products, healthcare services, patient privacy, and data security.
The standards for medical translation are higher. Clients want to work with medical translators who are certified.
Keeping Up with Trends in Healthcare
Companies that provide medical translation services should keep up with healthcare technologies, medical devices, and trends in healthcare. Keeping up with the developments in the field of science and medicine is essential for the translators to keep their knowledge up to date.
Online Services
For example, many healthcare facilities provide online medical services. Patient records can be available through secure channels upon request by other doctors who are treating patients from other countries. They need medical records translated into their language to facilitate the treatment of a patient.
As the demand for online medical services increases, it is not difficult to surmise that medical translation should be available 24/7. Medical translation will feature more prominently for facilities and organizations that provide medical services online. And since many people search for medical and healthcare information, whether for general knowledge or research, related content needs to be translated into other languages to ensure the correctness of the information.
It is now vital to have translated patient records accessible wherever they are located at any given time. Medical consultations, requesting second opinions or questions about medicines, analytical results, vaccines, and symptoms, can happen anytime and anywhere in the world. A medical translation service provider can be a very reliable and efficient partner in such cases.
Quick Response through Online Platforms
People searching for medical translation or medical services online are looking for immediate response and trustworthy information. Along with online medical services, there will be online platforms, apps, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) that will be coming out. The emergence of these services will require medical translation services, as well.
Mobile Consultations
Some patients may be too busy or too far to visit their doctor, but they can still consult with the healthcare provider through phone, video conference, or email. Many people are very adept at using different communication devices, and it is rare to see people today who are not holding a phone or a tablet. Doctors can now consult with patients without requiring them to be physically present. With medical translation, it is easier for patients and doctors who do not speak the same language to understand one another.
Reaching More People
The expansion of healthcare technology drives designers of healthcare apps and manufacturers of medical devices to request the services of medical translators to ensure a more extensive reach of their products and services. As the market expands globally, up to date information regarding private and public healthcare systems in local languages will be imperative. Further, people can find information about what immediate actions to pursue should health problems occur.
Expert Predictions
Healthcare data exchange and quality of data will feature prominently in 2020 and beyond. Experts believe that healthcare providers should focus more on consumer (patient) experience and the quality of data that is available to them. With that said, the healthcare industry will be demanding more medical translation services for allied services such as:
- General medical translation
- Healthcare translation
- Medical insurance translation
- Medical insurance translation
- Scientific translation
- Life sciences translation
- Pharmaceutical translation
In the European Union, medical translation will be mandatory, starting in 2020. The Medical Device Regulation (MDR) of the EU will take effect very soon. This MDR affects the translation industry in the region, as medical translation will be necessary for all content of medical devices in 2020. The regulation requires all information regarding a medical device to be available in the official languages each member state recognizes.
A medical device is something that is used by humans solely or in combination with another, such as:
- Medical instrument
- Apparatus
- Software
- Appliance
- Reagent
- Implant
- Article
- Material
- Colored contact lenses
- Breast implants
- Other related products
The MDR aims to provide additional transparency to make it better and more comfortable for consumers to purchase and use medical devices.
Further, the EU requires each medical device to have a Unique Device Identifier (UDI), which consists of a Device Identifier (DI) linking the device and the manufacturer and a Product Identifier (PI) that identifies the unit of production of a product. These components will form part of the European Database on Medical Devices (EUDAMED) database. The identifiers should also have a translation in all the EU languages.
Translation of Medical Terminology
Translating medical terminology is one of the many challenges medical translators face every time they work on a project because new drugs, therapies, and diseases continue to emerge. That is why translators need to continue updating their knowledge and skills.
As part of the EU’s MDR, for example, the Union requires that all people should be able to understand the medical language, meaning the medical terms should be as simple as possible.
Because of the nature of the industry, medical translators should know the specific targets of the translation while considering the technicalities of medical jargon, including false friends and polysemy, as well as eponyms.
For Expert Medical Translations at Your Fingertips Contact Us
Whenever you need high-quality medical translation services, we at eTranslation Services are just a phone call or an email away. You can call us at (800) 882-6058, or you can send us an email at [email protected]. Medical translation requires linguistic and subject matter expertise. Avail of the services of our highly-skilled certified and experienced medical translators who are all native speakers. Hiring us will help you be at ease, knowing that your medical translation project is in expert hands.[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column]
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