How to Deliver Better Healthcare by Using Medical Translation Services by Ofer Tirosh

Productive and efficient communication is one of the main factors in delivering better healthcare. With strong communication, patients can learn how to take their treatments, can ask questions about conditions that are bothering them, and can discuss how they are being cared for. One of the hardest barriers to overcome in healthcare communication is the language barrier. As such, we’ve taken a look at how medical translation services can help you deliver better healthcare.

Why is Medical Translation Important?

If you work in healthcare, medical translation is a service you simply can’t ignore. The importance of medical interpreters was displayed when they played a decisive role in the creation and implementation of government policies regarding health and disaster response and mitigation

According to Medicare and Medicaid Services, a 2017 survey asked healthcare providers to estimate how many of their patients spoke a language other than English at home. 23% of respondents estimated that 21-40% of their patients spoke a language other than English at home. 9% estimated that 41-60% spoke a language other than English, 5% estimated that it was 61-80% of their patients who did so, while 3% of respondents estimated that 81%-100% of their patients spoke an alternative language to English at home.

The wider societal figures help to put this in context. Between 2009 and 2013, about 25 million people in the US spoke English less than very well, according to the US Census Bureau.

Cleary, people who speak another language make up a large portion of patients. And healthcare providers must communicate well with those patients if they wish to deliver the best possible care.

The report from Medicare and Medicaid Services also asked how providers meet the needs of patients who speak another language:

• Just under 24% said they are contracted with interpreter services.
• Only 10% said they track language preferences in medical records.
• Around 16% said they did not know what strategies were used to address language needs.

Large parts of the medical industry have a long way to go in meeting the language needs of its patients, according to this survey.  

Being sick can already be a harrowing experience. When the healthcare providers are difficult to communicate with because of language barriers, it can be downright frightening, as you struggle to understand what is wrong with you and how to treat it. On the provider’s end, it can be stressful not to know if the patient is understanding vital treatment instructions.  

Medical translation can deliver a more comforting experience for patients and a smoother, faster process for healthcare providers.

What Is Medical Translation?  

 An important distinction to start with is the difference between medical translation and interpretation.

Interpretation covers any type of service that converts spoken language as it’s being said. In healthcare, interpreters are often present in the examination room with the patient and the doctor. More recently, due to quarantining and the increased convenience of portable devices, video remote interpretation is becoming more popular in the medical field. The interpreter simply works over a video call instead of in person.

What does translation mean in medical terms? And what is a translation service? Medical translation handles converting written text into another language (or perhaps verbal commentary in the case of audio or video translation). Medical translation may handle documents such as medical bulletins, drug data sheets, training materials, and plenty more. It can include functions within healthcare as well, such as medical device manufacturing, medical marketing, or documentation for clinical, regulatory, or technical needs.

Accuracy is paramount. A mistranslation in the medical industry could have disastrous consequences. It could mean a drug is misrepresented, instructions for using a medical device could be wrong or someone could administer a treatment improperly. As such, decent medical translation services work in several steps to ensure quality:

· Initial communication between the client and translator establishes any medical terminology or meanings that should stay intact in the text.

• The text is extracted from the original document.
• That text is then line-by-line translated into the new language.

· An editor typically checks to make sure the translator followed certain medical terminology, overall meaning, and standards within the industry.

• The translation is put back into its original format.
• A proofreader looks over the document, checking for larger issues like layout problems.
• After these steps, the document gets sent back to the client.

This is an example of what medical translation tends to look like. The stages can vary slightly. For instance, larger translation agencies might have multiple people at different stages of the process, whereas a single translator could handle different stages themselves.

The important point to take away is that a good medical translator or agency will have multiple stages of review. They will check the document against approved medical terminology and industry standards.  

How to Find Top Medical Translation Services

Because medical translation is so important, you need to make sure you are sourcing and vetting your medical translation service well.  

A top way people find translation services is to ask around their professional network. If people have had a good experience with a translation service, they may be inclined to recommend it. You might also search online. Either way, make sure a medical translation agency is at the top of its game by checking that: 

• The website is professional and modern.
• The agency or translator has some way to prove they are experienced through portfolios of past work, client testimonials, or references.
• Your point of contact is timely and detailed in their communication; they should be able to outline quickly their whole process for assuring quality reviews, for instance.
• The agency or translator is knowledgeable about industry standards and medical terminology for their type of translation work. For example, certain ISO types for medical device manufacturing.
• The translator has some type of professional development, such as a degree in translation, volunteer work, internships, or agency work, and that they belong to a professional organization for translators and/or are certified.  

By properly vetting your medical translator, you can better assure that the translation you get back will be accurate and comply with industry standards. This is key to driving up standards for non-English speaking patients across your healthcare provision.

Ofer Tirosh is the CEO of Tomedes. He is an author who focuses on linguistics and the importance of foreign language in globalization and localization.

Why Medical Interpreters Are So Awesome

After spending last week in a Spanish hospital, I was reminded of the importance (and awesomeness) of some of my favourite language professionals, interpreters, and above all, those who specialise in medical interpreting.

First, I should say that I am in awe of all interpreters in general. If you've ever tried any kind of interpreting, it won't take long before you realise that it's exhausting and very mentally demanding. These professionals work incredibly hard and have an enviable set of language skills.

However, rather than talk about all interpreters today (who I respect greatly), I'd like to focus on medical interpreters.

Seeing doctors and being in hospital can often be a distressing, worrying, or generally negative experience because you don't often spend time with medical professionals when you're feeling great.

Of course, your whole experience of being in hospital and seeing doctors will be greatly worsened if you don't speak the language. This is where medical interpreters become heroes. Good news or bad, having it delivered in your language is so much more reassuring.

On top of the reassurance provided by medical interpreters, there's also the incredible level of professionalism required of them. Imagine having to interpret the dialogue between a doctor and a patient when it's not good news. Could you remain and react professionally knowing you have to break potentially life-changing news to a patient? I admit that I'd find it nearly impossible.

In terms of language professionals, medical interpreters are basically superheroes. They have the language skills that many language lovers yearn for, they're the tireless saviours of those in need of a helping hand, and they do all this while putting everybody before themselves.

You're awesome, medical interpreters! I salute you!

Medical Interpreting Advocacy for the Deaf by Nina Lizunova

Healthcare affects us at every stage of life; not only are we consumers of the healthcare system from before birth until the end of our lives, but healthcare has become a large part of our national discourse and consumes more of our financial resources every day.  Interpreting also forms an important part within the healthcare system. It seems like the right time for sign language interpreters to increase focus on healthcare and ensure the effectiveness in this important area of practice.

A growing need

The demand for skilled healthcare interpreters is growing. Research found stated that in 2012, NHS Direct in the UK spent more than £16 million on interpreters to help patients from foreign countries communicate with healthcare specialists.

Research in the US also found that at Hennepin County Medical Center, one in every three encounters involves a spoken or sign language interpreter.  Another indicator of this growth is the recent hiring of multiple staff sign language interpreters at the six largest health systems in Minnesota.  There are reports of similar increases in requests for interpreters and expansion of interpreting groups in other large US metropolitan communities.

(Courtesy SignVideo)

NHS 24, which is the Scottish equivalent of NHS Direct, has started using the online Video Relay Service (VRS), InterpreterNow! It is a simple way of connecting a Deaf person to a hearing person via an online interpreter. The service is accessed using a live webcam link that connects the Deaf person to qualified British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters. The Deaf user communicates their health query to the interpreter and the interpreter telephones NHS 24 and relays the conversation. The interpreter will then relay the result of the conversation with NHS 24 to the Deaf person.

When is a medical interpreter necessary?

If you are a medical institute or relevant professional, you may at some time need an interpreter to communicate with your Deaf, hard of hearing, Deaf Blind, or late-deafened patient, or with their Deaf, hard of hearing, Deaf Blind, or late-deafened spouse, parent, guardian, or family member. This might be for triage in the emergency room, a weekly therapy session, or for 24-hour coverage in intensive care. It is vitally important in these situations to work with a qualified interpreter, one who has training and experience in medical or mental health interpreting. In many cases, your specific need for interpreters does not justify hiring someone full-time. Working with an experienced interpreting agency to obtain services on an as-needed basis can help to make your communication accessibility a reasonable task.

Interpreters accept assignments based on their varied skill sets, depending on the type of interpreting needed: sign language is appropriate with many who are Deaf or hard of hearing, tactile or close vision communication with many whom are Deaf Blind and oral transliteration with many who are late-deafened. In addition, a qualified Deaf Interpreter may be needed in situations involving children, or with someone who has limited formal language, limited cognitive function, or is from another country.

There may be someone in your hospital or office who knows sign language, but unless that person is a certified interpreter, serious errors can occur. Alternately, the patient, or their family member or friend may offer to interpret. Again, errors can occur, and a true and accurate interpretation may not be rendered.

Having an interpreter for full communication access is essential. However, there have been numerous cases of failure (or outright refusal) of medical establishments to provide sign language interpreters.

Specialized practice

As interpreters continue to develop and to take their place as greater and active members of the healthcare team, they will need to consider what their model of practice might look like.  What behaviours must be demonstrated in order to indicate to the nurses, technicians and doctors that we are their colleagues, not friends or the patient’s family members? As professional colleagues, what are their obligations to these medical team members? How are they focusing on supporting the best health outcomes for the patient?

Systematically discussing questions like those above are only part of the bigger picture of developing standards of practice and quality care.  The time has come to build a specialized practice of interpreters in healthcare.  Interpreters need to advocate that healthcare interpreters, Deaf or hearing, should have the education and supervised work experience to support full access to effective communication in healthcare settings for Deaf and Deaf Blind people.  Communication is an important part of the doctor – patient relationship, and when needed sign language interpreters should be considered an important part too.

Please note Deaf with a capital “D” refers to the Deaf community and deaf with a small “d” refers to a person who is deaf.

Nina Lizunova is a Language Project Coordinator at Romo Translations, which provides translation and interpreting services in London, for private clients and large corporations that operate in a multinational, multi-cultural business environment.

For more information, please visit http://www.romo-translations.com/