Medical Document Translation: Translating Health Records

Rapid Translate Team

Updated: September 15, 2024 | 9 min read

The world of medicine keeps advancing, and many industries keep evolving to fall into place. The medical industry has evolved into a new form. Over the years, many people have seen reasons to take their healthcare affairs to another country. However, nothing is possible without accurate medical document translation.

Translating texts for healthcare is essential as it holds the key to many lives. Therefore, hiring a medical translator who understands the importance of the job is crucial. But what does medical translation entail? Which agencies provide this service? 

Read on to get more details about this translation process.

A stethoscope leans on a white surface.
Medical Document Translation: Translating Health Records 8

What Is Medical Translation?

Medical translation is translating texts and documents involving the pharmaceutical or medical industry from one language to another. Medical translators are professionals who understand complex terminologies. Therefore, it is easy for them to create documents meaning the same thing in simple texts or other languages.

5 Reasons Why Medical Translation Is Important

Many people don’t know anything about their treatment regimen without medical knowledge. However, accurate translations can help break down important processes into basic terms. The contribution of a medical translator is essential to the entire process. Misinterpreting a single word can affect someone’s life or health.

Here are five reasons for translation:

  1. Translation helps to break down the complex and technical scientific and medical terminologies.
  2. Translating medical texts helps foreigners in different countries to get treatments. It helps patients better articulate their needs to access better healthcare.
  3. Healthcare providers become more productive because of better communication with their patients. This productivity enables clinics and hospitals to earn more money for medical devices and services.
  4. Translations help patients to understand their medical condition and treatment regimen. It also helps healthcare providers to understand a foreign patient’s medical records. A person could end up misdiagnosed without completely understanding their medical history. Hence, accurate medical record translations are vital.
  5. The contribution of translators in pharmaceutical companies ensures that imported medications have accurate information.

You must have noticed that translated texts are essential in the medical field. Now, let’s find out who needs this service.

A close-up view of a stethoscope and pen on a printed page.
Medical Document Translation: Translating Health Records 9

Who Needs Medical Translations?

Everyone involved in the medical industry needs translations for documents, records, and prescriptions. However, specific parties need professional translators more than others. Accuracy and communication are essential to the involvement of these parties in the industry. 

Here are the main parties:

  • Non-native speakers: Translations are important to people whose first language differs from a country’s official language. Both native speakers and foreigners must understand their diagnosis, treatment instructions, and care protocol.
  • Immigrants: Immigrants relocating to a different country will need translations for their medical documents to receive proper medical care. It is also part of their immigration documents translation to give the immigration office details about their health condition.
  • Hearing impaired: Individuals who have hearing impairment may have issues with hearing medical instructions. However, translations will provide clear documentation to help the hearing-impaired person read the instructions.
  • Medical professionals: Pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers, doctors, and other healthcare providers are professionals in the medical industry needing translations. Proper communication ensures patients get the best from medications, equipment, and care.
  • Research institutions: Medical researchers need to translate procedures and results into languages people in different countries can understand.
  • Healthcare insurance providers: Providing healthcare insurance requires communication between the parties involved (i.e., patient, healthcare facility, and insurance provider). Translations can break down language barriers in this case.

Types of Medical Documents Needing Translation

The medical profession uses several documents for various purposes. Therefore, a large number of them will need translations. Notwithstanding, knowing the major documents needing translations will help source the right services for the translation process.

Here are some of the main types of medical documents:

  • Clinical protocols
  • Patient information
  • Clinical trials
  • Pharmacological studies
  • Medical contracts
  • Informed consent forms
  • Toxicology reports
  • Drug registration documentation
  • Product labels
  • Clinical research associate training materials and videos
  • Package inserts and labels
  • Instructions for use (IFU)
  • Case report forms (CRF)
  • Quality of life (QoL) measures
  • Health insurance paperwork
  • Scientific journal articles, etc.

Medical equipment and a drug dispenser on a table.
Medical Document Translation: Translating Health Records 10

What Is a Certified Medical Document Translation?

A certified medical document translation is a medical translation that has undergone certification by a professional translator. Certification is a signed statement assuring the translation’s accuracy. Certification of translation accuracy ensures that the translated medical documents are indeed accurate.

These organizations only use certified translators with years of training and experience in the medical industry. Certified medical translators are important for accuracy when translating documents between two languages. Due to the severity of the consequences of inaccuracies, these translators must have extensive medical knowledge.

They must also adhere to strict quality standards to provide linguistically and technically accurate translations. Their expertise determines the interpretation of complex health information. In addition, certified translators must have a precise command of the target language to convey nuances and phrases.

They also understand the regulatory standards regarding medical practices in various countries. Translators undergo a medical certification process to ensure they have specialized abilities. However, the translation process is easier when the translator is a native speaker. It helps them to flow naturally with the system.

The translator writes exams during certification to evaluate their medical vocabulary capabilities in the source and target languages. It also evaluates their translation skill with sample documents, knowledge of the healthcare system, and more.

Using the services of translators without medical training may cause complications like mistranslations and incorrect treatment. Fortunately, certified translation services help to ensure quality control in complex healthcare translation projects.

5 Best Medical Document Translation Services

As mentioned, using the best translation services assures the highest quality. Many professional document translation services promise such results. However, identifying those offering outstanding medical document translation services is challenging. Don’t worry; we have identified five of them for you.

1. GTS Translation Services

GTS Translation is an outstanding medical translation company with over 20 years of experience in the industry. Their clients include leading medical device manufacturers, medical centers, pharmaceutical companies, and Contract Research Organizations.

GTS translations are in full compliance with the relevant regulatory requirements. In addition, they offer accurate certified translations at affordable prices. The company also has a fast turnaround so clients can get their documents on time.

GTS offers translations from professionals like doctors and nurses in over 100 languages. They also cover all medical fields and various document types. GTS has handled several translation projects that have received numerous positive reviews. They can also get your documents validated by licensed doctors in your target countries.

2. Acutrans

Acutrans is an exceptional translation company that offers a variety of services. Their service covers translations for medical documents in over 300 languages. Acutrans uses a dedicated team of licensed medical translators to ensure the highest level of translations.

Also, the company has a thorough quality control process involving rigorous checks and revisions to prevent errors and discrepancies. They make sure translations are fully compliant with healthcare regulations and standards. Their service covers medical reports, clinical trials, questionnaires, regulatory documents, and scientific journals.

Acutrans has a standard turnaround time of 24 hours to deliver quick results. Their experienced customer support team is also available to meet customer needs.

A stethoscope and silver laptop on a white surface.
Medical Document Translation: Translating Health Records 12

 3. Translated

Translated offers professional translations for medical texts and documents. With over 20 years in the industry, the company has employed a network of expert translators. These translators specialize in medicine and surgery, health statistics, clinical diagnostics, veterinary medicine, and the medical industry.

They are also native speakers with certifications and accreditations as doctors. Translated offers accurate translations that adhere to quality standards in over 202 languages. The company’s services cover various medical fields, including clinical reports, manuals, scientific papers, and informative materials.

Translated provides a free comprehensive review for quality assurance purposes. Additionally, they prioritize quick turnaround times and offer a money-back guarantee on unsatisfactory services. Customers can also pay within five days of delivery after evaluating the quality of the results.

4. RushTranslate

RushTranslate is an excellent translation company offering medical translations in over 60 languages. They offer translations for important documents, including informed consent forms, medical records, clinical trials, etc. RushTranslate’s services are quick, high-quality, and affordable.

Their team of expert translators has vast experience and skills in many areas. The company meticulously ensures quality and communication to meet client’s deadlines. Combining state-of-the-art systems and amazing customer support has helped this company to achieve excellence.

The customer support team is empathetic and understands the customer’s needs. They have adequate experience dealing with translation projects of any size and complexity.

5. Rapid Translate

Rapid Translate is a professional translation company specializing in accurate medical translation services. With a team of professional human translators, we offer translations in over 60 languages. Our team of multilingual translators can you get accurate and high-quality translations of health-related documents in your target language.

Our certified translation services also ensure you get the best results for your immigration application. We assure you of USCIS-approved certified translations. In addition, we prioritize your confidentiality and security. So you don’t have to worry about the safety of your medical documents.

Rapid Translate’s services are useful for patients, doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers. More than this, Rapid Translate can provide accurate results quickly. Our quick turnaround time ensures you get up to three pages within 24 hours.

You can also get rapid priority translation services for faster results. This service delivers your translated documents in 12 hours or less. Don’t worry about the complexity; our team has adequate experience handling the medical terminologies you require.

We cover various documents, including medical research papers, medical records and reports, consent forms, vaccination records, etc. Our precision and understanding of customer support is 100%.

Are you looking for the right medical document translation for hospitals and healthcare documents? Don’t worry; we’ve got you covered with our effective translation services and strict confidentiality. We also offer other translation options to help you overcome language barriers and expand your world. Order now to experience the power of amazing translations!

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