The medical and pharmaceutical industries are those industries in which there is the most growing demand for translation services. However, these industries are also one of the most complex ones when it comes to delivering Translation in life science. Because accuracy matters a lot. Not only from the linguistic or technical point of view but also from the legal perspective.
There are various things that need to be safeguarded and protected at all times. This includes patient safety, support for patients who don’t speak English as their first language or have limited proficiency, and more. So, what are some of the best medical and pharmaceutical translation practices? Also, how do clients and patients understand and perceive all this?
What role you can play in the smooth running of medical translations
High-quality and professional medical translation services will depend mostly on the experience and expertise of the language service provider. However, you as a medical company can do certain things to help ensure that translations run smoothly and costs remain low. Here’s how to do it.
- It’s always helpful if you can prepare yourself for the implementation of a new strategy in your medical business. Regardless of whether you’d be in need of certified medical translation services or interpreting services, the provision of a sustainable plan from your end will make things easy for you to seek the services you wanted without any disruptions and on a rolling basis.
- Collaboration with your language provider is important. Collaborate with them to come up with an effective plan that best suits your practice. To achieve this plan together with your LSP, you first would need to determine the type of translation process that will be most beneficial to you. For instance, are you in need of certified document translation services on a frequent basis? Will remote interpreting work for you? Do you need both document translation and interpretation?
- Determine ways you can contribute to achieving the best results. For instance, you can create a glossary of your industry-related terminology and provide it to your LSP. Similarly, you can let your LSP or language service provider know about your style guides such as tone, formatting, acronyms, and other stylistic preferences.
- If you have any special forms for which you need translation, always ensure they are simple in language as well as design. Doing so will not only help your patients but your LSP as well. The LSP would be able to produce quick outcomes with better quality for you.
Best practices to look for in a medical translation partner
Well, the answer to this is no rocket science. You need to work with a professional language service provider (LSP) to handle all your medical translation needs. However, what exactly are the best practices an LSP should focus on to deliver the best medical and pharmaceutical translation services?
Accuracy and consistency
Any error in your medical document can prove detrimental to the reputation of your business and the lives of patients. Hence, you require certified medical document translation services that will ensure accuracy and consistency.
But how will an LSP achieve accurate and consistent results? They can utilize the style and glossary you provide them to ensure consistent and accurate use of terminology and formatting. They may also make use of translation memory to save previously translated sentences, phrases, terms, and even paragraphs. And implement these previous translations again in future work.
It’s vital that the LSP you choose should have a medical background in the field they are providing translations for. Translators should be native speakers of the language your material is intended for. Plus, an ideal should also have exclusive knowledge of the target country’s laws and regulations. That’s how you’d be able to get accurate and consistent results.
Regulatory standards in the medical industry
When it comes to medical translations, they should adhere to different laws and regulations based on the target country, etc. For instance, there are authorities such as FDA, EMA, EU, and MDR that have defined certain regulations and restrictions that your translations should meet. Therefore, when you choose an LSP, make sure that they have the necessary knowledge and expertise in applying these regulatory standards rigorously and comprehensively.
A systematic localization and QA process
Professional LSPs commit themselves to a systematic translation process that involves translation, editing, proofreading, and quality assurance. Ask your linguistic partner or agency to update you on how they will carry out your project. One of the best strategies any LSP would follow during medical transition is the “back transition” strategy. The back translation is an excellent process to weed out any possible errors in terminology, grammar, and cultural nuances. That’s what makes this process ideal for translating information that’s highly sensitive or technical in nature. And for information where there is zero room for ambiguity.