Medical tourism has always been a booming industry, especially in the US. Today, it is a multi-billion dollar industry, with over 50,000 people traveling to the US annually to receive in-patient medical care. Visitors come from all over the world. As a result, you cannot avoid language barriers.
Medical terminology is difficult, even for locals. It’s even more complicated for medical tourists because they often come to the US to receive specialized healthcare. That’s why some companies offer medical translation services to ensure that medical-related information is translated correctly before dissemination.
What is Medical Translation and Why is it Important?
Medical translation is the practice of translating medical-related documents, such as teaching manuals, patents, pharmaceutical information, and the like. It is done by professional translators who hold graduate or doctorate degrees and usually specialize in a specific medical field. In essence, it’s a field that requires immense qualification and knowledge.
Medical translation isn’t limited to document translation, as companies also offer real-time interpretation services. They are especially useful for medical tourists, who would need to consult and regularly converse with doctors. Professionals will help them convey and interpret information such as their medical history, condition, treatment options, and the like.
It’s essential to thoroughly translate medical information because it’s a highly regulated industry. Therefore, it’s pertinent to choose a reliable medical translation service that understands the specifics of particular conditions. It will make sure that all relayed information is accurate and specific to your health.
How Does Medical Translation Work?
There are various medical translation services available, depending on the urgency and type of work needed. You can choose to avail of Human Translation (HT) services. These have a longer turnover time, but actual professionals do them for the highest quality translations. Additional editing services can be done with an extra cost to increase the accuracy of the text.
Machine Translation services are also available. These are technology-based solutions achieved with the help of AI. Statistical machine translation engines (SMT) come with 64 language pairs. It is a low-cost alternative to human translation and is beneficial for getting pertinent information from a large volume of documents, such as medical journals and research papers. But because they’re machine-translated, they tend to lack accuracy.
An advanced version of the SMT called the neural machine translation (NMT), offer better quality results, but with less language pair availability. The results of machine translations can be enhanced by availing of a human post-edit service to ensure the quality of AI translations.
Real-time Interpretation
Meanwhile, medical translation companies also offer interpretation services. These are done in real-time and will give you options, including simultaneous, consecutive, or telephone interpretation. Depending on the type of service you choose, the interpreter will either wait for the doctor to finish speaking or translate as the doctor speaks.
Additionally, these services aren’t limited to personal consultations. Medical translation companies also offer interpretation for both large and small-scale events and meetings. It is an excellent option for medical conventions, research presentations, and other similar events. For these, a professional interpreter will be present, while an infrared wireless transmission device will aid in broadcasting the interpreter’s words to the listeners.
It’s incredibly beneficial to seek a professional medical translation service when needed because the industry is regulated and requires proper certifications to ensure the accuracy of translations. Your personal and professional medical translation needs are well-taken care of when you choose a reliable company.