Importance of Professional Medical Translations in Global Healthcare

It can’t be overstated that these days with the global movement of people to countries where the immigrants’ mother tongue is not spoken inevitably health services are going to encounter people who don’t speak their language. If they do, it’s usually very limited and doesn’t extent to understanding medical terminology. That’s why professional medical translations are so important.

The Pitfall of Improvised Assistance

Some medical facilities when confronted with trying to explain a medical procedure or drug dosage to patients who don’t speak their language well enough will run around trying to get help from anyone who might have just a little understanding of the targeted language. This is one of the worst things that could ever be done, as it results in utter confusion for those involved. Medical professionals aren’t always savvy enough to realize that professional interpreters and translators are best used in these situations where professional medical translations are the key to understanding.

Precision Saves Time, Money, and Lives

The main reason for this is that if the translations are clear and easy to understand it will save time and money. Anyone taken off the staff for a few minutes to help out with either compiling a translation of a text that the patient needs or offering oral explanations, won’t know the best and clearest language to use so dangerous misunderstandings could take place. It’s vitally important, for example, to a doctor that before prescribing penicillin the patient should be asked if he or she has an allergy to penicillin, otherwise taking it could cause a tragic situation to develop. Even the smallest error in word usage could result in the patient misunderstanding the question.

Patient Satisfaction and Understanding

As well as ensuring the patient knows what’s going on, there is proof that patients feel more relaxed and satisfied if a professional medical translator or interpreter has put across any vital information in a fluent and easy-to-understand way. It also helps to ensure that the patient has got the right message which appears to keep him or her from visiting an ER too frequently.

Distinction Between Medical Translation and Medical Interpreting

The two services available are either medical translation or medical interpreting. In some cases, both may be required by the patient and treating physician. The translator or interpreter will be highly experienced at their respective jobs and be well-versed in both the source and target languages. They won’t make even small errors so the ER or health care professional can help to make sure the quality and safety of their patients is guaranteed.