Medical translation? 6 mistakes to avoid!

Medical photo

Making sure your translations are error-free is always important, even vitally important in the medical world. Medical translations come in all shapes and sizes, from translating medicine boxes for consumers to documentation on how to use specialized medical devices. As a translation agency, we always recommend that you work with specialized translators, but, particularly in the medical sector you don’t really have a choice.

Errors in translations in the medical field could sometimes result in life or death issues with a lot of unpleasant variants in-between. It doesn’t bear thinking about errors in your medication leaflet or information brochure. Experienced, specialized medical translators know exactly what they’re writing about. Not only do they have knowledge of the correct language to use, but also they’re familiar with medical terminology.

Mistake 1 — You’ve opted for a translator without medical expertise

Making mistakes is human. Discovering and adjusting those mistakes as a translation agency before they reach the client; that’s service. Translation errors are more common when you have your translation done by a poorly trained translator.

We really get it; cheap always sounds appealing. Because why would you pay more than you need to? According to us (and all the studies that show that translation errors often cause medical errors), a specialized medical translator is indispensable. Our linguists are highly educated and have many years of experience in the medical sector, which is essential to guarantee you don’t take unnecessary risks.

Mistake 2 — The translator does not take the target audience into account

When writing and translating a medical text, there are two questions that need to be asked: what is the message we want to share and who is the target audience. You would write a completely different text for a trained doctor than for a patient. A patient isn’t familiar with all the medical concepts but most definitely wants to know what the reports or medical records are all about. Then again, if you’d write about medical equipment, the information you provide would be far more elaborate and totally different.

Knowing exactly what you wish to convey is one thing, knowing exactly how to do that is something else entirely. It’s important that it’s error-free and easy to understand for the reader.

A translator specialised in medical texts knows how to write the translation in such a way that it is:
• Attuned to the target group and the corresponding level.
• Faultless.
• Correct in terms of content, language barriers and cultural differences.

Mistake 3 — The use of incorrect symbols and pictograms

A handy way to overcome language barriers is by using symbols and pictograms. It is extremely important here that the receiver of the message knows what it means. This is why many symbols and pictograms have been standardised and internationally recognised — so that everyone knows that certain things can’t be thrown in the bin, that you must rinse your eyes after contact with the medicine or that you must keep it out of reach of children. Quite convenient, isn’t it? It’s up to the manufacturer to ensure that the target group understands the symbols and pictograms used. A good medical linguist will take this into account to make sure the text translated, within the context of pictogram and symbols, is clear for the target audience.

Mistake 4 — The medical translator does not keep abreast with language development

The medical language is constantly changing. Sometimes medical concepts merge resulting in new terminology. The medical language is full of neologisms, newly invented words or expressions. Especially for non-native translators who have no knowledge of the medical field it’s almost impossible to keep up. Unless a translator knows exactly what he or she is doing, it could lead to serious translation problems.

A medical translator must be updated with the new expressions and vocabulary used in the sector, making sure the message is expressed accurate and according to the new language trend.

Mistake 5 — Wrong abbreviations used

There are millions of terms in the medical field for which abbreviations are used. Depending on the language you use, the same abbreviation might mean totally different concepts. It is essential that the abbreviation used corresponds to the correct concept in the target language. The use of a wrong abbreviation might carry disastrous consequences. A study analysed medical errors in the United States; between 1,500 and 30,000 medical errors were attributable to confusing abbreviations.

Mistake 6 — The translation is not reviewed

It is human to make mistakes. For this reason, quality controls are extremely important. Even if you use the most qualified translator, sloppy mistakes can happen. For this reason, within this quality assurance, it is essential the translation is reviewed by a professional and specialized reviewer and all type of QA checks are run on the translation. The result must be an error-free text. A comma in the wrong place, a misplaced number, can have very serious consequences.

How can you avoid these mistakes? Make sure you send over your translations to a professional agency, like us, that ensures all processes are done and the right linguists are used. Don’t hesitate to contact us to explain your needs and we will make a customized offer for you.