Errors in Medical Translations

You will hear discussions of the errors that occur between a patient and doctor because of a bad interpreter. But what about the detrimental errors that occur in a bad, inaccurate medical translation? Clearly, it is a result of not using a professional translation service agency.

There are over 19 million residents in the US who have a limited proficiency in English. A medical translation error is a cause of ‘unknown’ medical errors that happen in US hospitals every day. A study performed in 2004 showed that 77% of medical translations that were done by nurses, family members, or social workers resulted in a “potential clinical consequence.”

The solution is to ensure that those who say they can do medical translation can actually do so. Using a professional translation service or Spanish translation service agency would be more reliable than using a freelance translator. Professional translation service like Interpreters Unlimited work with medical translators well versed in medical terminology, confidentiality issues, and principles of informed consent. Contact IU today to learn more about who we successfully provide medical translation and interpretation for hospitals and other health facilities.

Lost in Medical Translation

There is a reason why the phrase Lost in Translation is so popular. Translating from one language into another runs the risk of losing meaning or context. This is especially true for a medical translation. This is why it is crucial to work with someone who knows how to translate, a professional translation service or Spanish translation service.

Using a professional translation service agency can reduce potential errors greatly. Professional translators understand word usage. That is, words that have different meanings in different languages. A professional translation service will understand syntax between two languages. This is important in any language translation. Professionals from a Spanish translation service for example, have the ability to take a Spanish sentence and translate it using the correct syntax, sentence structure whereby the meaning of the sentence is not loss. This is an error you do not want to see for medical translations.

Professional translation services will take the time they need to read the source document, i.e. medical translation patient profile form, and then translate, in oppose to amateurs who are in a hurry and may miss something. These professionals will catch text that cannot be translated word by word.

Always use a professional translation service for all translations especially medical translations.

Spend it on Professional Translation Services, It’s Worth it

Medical translation services are needed all over the World. Although based in the United States, Interpreters Unlimited is able to receive a document from anywhere, perform the medical translation service or Spanish translation service, whichever the case, still within a three-business day turn around.

With President Obama and many members of his staff on the way to India, there is much talk about trip expenses that fall on the tax payers. Part of these expenses could be allotted for professional translation services, medical translation, language interpreters, or other translation services. Although it is up for discussion what is a necessity and what is not, I feel confident to say that expenses toward a professional language interpreter or professional medical translation, if needed, is worth it. Course, I could be bias.

Spend the extra amount on a professional that is qualified to provide medical translations, or Spanish translations, or any in-person language interpretation. Get a free estimate on your next translation you need.

Translation Bias

Many organizations opt to use inhouse resources hoping to yield professional translation services that are exact. But the reality is that any person close to the project may have a bias and this may be reflected in the translation they produce. This is not as common in a medical translation as the subject matter is quite straight forward, but it can happen.

The best way to alleviate the potential of a bias or inaccurate translation is to use a third party professional translation service that is in no way affiliated to your organization. There are several medical translation and Spanish translation service agencies available including Interpreters Unlimited.

Interpreters Unlimited provides reliable document translation nationwide in over 130 languages. Whether it’s a medical translation or Spanish translation service you need, Interpreters Unlimited will use only translators whose expertise falls into the category of content used in the translation. Contact us today to learn more about our professional translation services. Click here to request a free translation quote, including medical translations.