“Medical translation services are certainly here to stay. It is however essential for both providers and seekers of these services to appreciate their sensitivity. This will certainly go a long way in preserving life”.
The translation industry has experience massive growth in the recent years and is 
projected to be among the high growth industries of the near future. This tremendous ascension has resulted in the birth of several specialized services in the industry. Medical translation services are some of the specialized services that have taken root.
What Do Medical Translation Services Entail?
Translation refers to the conversion of the subject matter from one language to another. Subject matter refers to any communication that may be written or spoken. The subject matter when it comes to medical translation services is an aggregation of medical texts, audio and video files, software components, product materials, registration dossiers for drugs, documents for clinical trials, instructions for use and research documents. This subject matter is particularly relevant in the healthcare and pharmaceutical fields.
The Scope of Services under Medical Translation Services
Medical translation services are not limited to the hackneyed translation into different languages. In addition to translation to different languages, medical translation services include localization of the graphical material including screen shots, desktop publishing, general strategy and preparation and software localizations. This consummate package is of course only guaranteed by quality and experienced providers of medical translation services.
The Team involved in Providing Medical Translation Services
Medical translation services are complex by nature owing to the need for specialized medical knowledge. Acquiring this knowledge in majority of countries is no walk in the park. Prospective medical practitioners are taken through grueling training to ensure that they are well equipped in human anatomy, physiology and pathology at the very minimum. This training often spans several years. Unfortunately, your everyday translator is not likely to be a qualified medical practitioner. Moreover, good translator judgment is required when providing medical translation services. This is to ensure that the integrity of medical information is maintained which will go a long way in ensuring that lives are ultimately saved. It is for these reasons that medical translation services are provided by teams as opposed to individuals.
The team involved in providing medical translation services typically encompasses a medical practitioner, native translators, medical text editors, gifted proofreaders and reliable publishers. Having an additional individual to review the entire process of medical translation services is a practice observed by the best providers of medical translation services.
Risks Inherent in Medical Translation Services
Literally, medical translation is a matter of life and death. At the downside, an error in translation can result in the loss of lives. That is why medical translation services are closely scrutinized by local and international regulatory bodies. Providers of medical translation services are required to obtain certification in standards such as ISO 9001, EN 15038 and ISO 13485 depending on their geographical location. This is in a bid to reduce the risks inherent in providing medical translation services. These risks include errors in abbreviations, risk of incorporating ‘excessive’ advertising, improper localization and improper use of figures of speech.
Final Word about Medical Translation Services
Medical translation services are certainly here to stay. It is however essential for both providers and seekers of these services to appreciate their sensitivity. This will certainly go a long way in preserving life.
