Why a healthcare website needs to be translated

A translated healthcare website is the best medium to help patients with low levels of literacy in the language of the country they have migrated to if they wish to access healthcare information. It gives them the opportunity to grasp the most relevant information that they should know about health conditions and treatment options.

It helps to do the following:

• It enables patients of different language groups to access information at their fingertips in their own language.
• It allows patients to access much needed health information in an emergency in a language they understand.
• It gives patients or families of potential patients the peace of mind that a website is available with the right information if and when they need it in a language they understand.

Overall healthcare relies heavily on the patient’s description of symptoms. Care and treatment typically depend on whether patients trust, understand, and listen carefully to a medical professional’s instructions and advice. Many healthcare providers fail do provide adequate translation and interpreting services. Often people who try to help non-native speakers are friends or family members who speak two languages but unless they have complete fluency in the two languages in the healthcare field misunderstandings could take place.

There are so many problems that occur when family members are used in translating and interpreting including the violation of the patient’s privacy, failing to fully translate the patient’s words due to patient embarrassment.

Which healthcare providers should get their websites translated?

There are many different areas of healthcare but there are some services that are required more often than others. Some of the key healthcare provides which should translate their websites into the languages of their potential patients include:

• Urology
• Sports medicine
• Sexual health
• Podiatry
• Physiotherapy services
• Aged Care services
• Physical therapy
• Orthopaedic
• Ophthalmology
• Oncolog
• Gynecology and obstetrics
• GP services
• Gastroenterology
• Ear, nose, and throat (ENT)
• Dialysis
• Dermatology
• Dentist
• Dentistry
• Nutrition
• Neurology
• Mobile clinics
• Mental health

When healthcare providers translate their websites it helps patients and their families find out more about medical conditions, treatment possibilities and their outcomes. This new understanding improves communication between healthcare providers and their patients. There is less fear when patients are better informed about medical conditions if they are able to read about their medical condition on a website that has been translated into its language.

Every industry needs translators who have the best training in different languages. Although some symbols, items and/or actions are often universally understood some still have subtle meanings and instructions used in cultures. It is typically important to break down the language barriers often present in healthcare. This can be done if enough healthcare information, including websites, is available in many languages.