Medical translations are a specialist translation that caters for the healthcare industry. Many countries have strict regulations to ensure that any medical equipment or drug descriptions are translated into the national language before they are sold in the open market. This is understandable given that the medical profession is always dealing with life and death situations. It is paramount for any translated text or description to be perfectly accurate. There are serious legal consequences for medical companies who disregard these regulations.

Why Do People Need Medical Translations?

Apart from the regulatory requirements imposed by the state, there is also another good reason for medical translations. They allow the local clinicians, patients, and government representatives to understand them. Most countries will also require medical companies to submit regulatory approval applications to the local health ministry and these applications must be written in the national language. Research documents needed to conduct clinical trials must also be presented in the national language.

Specialist Medical Translation and General Translation

A general translator is not able to Translate Medical Documents effectively. To prove a point, how much do you really understand in the following drug descriptions that were written in English?

"BIAXIN is available as immediate-release tablets, extended-release tablets, and granules for oral suspension. Each yellow oval film-coated immediate-release BIAXIN tablet (Clarithromycin tablets, USP) contains 250 mg or 500 mg of Clarithromycin."

Or

"Oleum Terebinthinae is a thin colourless liquid having a characteristic taste and odour, becoming more intense with age and by exposure. Soluble in alcohol and glacial acetic acid. It readily dissolves resins, wax, sulphur, iodine, and phosphorus."

If you find it hard to comprehend these texts in English, can you imagine how difficult for a general translator to translate it to another language so that the target audience would understand perfectly? Therefore, most specialist medical translators are themselves medically qualified or have a background in bio-chemistry and medical sciences. This ensures that they are able to produce translations that can be understood easily by the local practitioners and patients.

What medical materials are translated?

Medical translations can cover a range of areas including technical, clinical, medical devices, and drugs. The following is a non exhaustive list of medical materials that are commonly translated:

• Drugs patents

• Medical machine patents

• Application documents for regulatory approval

• Clinical trial documents such as patient consent form, case report forms, trial protocols

• Instruction manuals for medical equipment

• Medical equipment operational software

• Description label for drugs

• Electronic training and learning programs for the doctors and medical staff

• Medical websites

• Drug explanation brochures

• Medical equipment catalogues

• Technical manuals for medical machines

• Patient records

• Research journals

• Pharmaceutical research reports

• Medical letters

• Medical checkup reports

• Health information leaflets

• Government health notices

• Doctors hand written records

Medical Translation Process

The original text will first be translated by a specialist medical translator. After that, another professional translator will proofread the translated text to make sure that it is accurate. Following that, an in-country medical expert will be hired to review the medical translations to ensure that it meets all the regulatory specifications and understandable to the local medica.