SimulTrans Localization Blog: SimulTips

People often ask me, "Is it important that translators have a medical background to translate life science content?" I always answer with a resounding, "Yes!" No content requires more specialization than medical. It is often insufficient to have only a "medical" background, but necessary to have more in-depth knowledge of cardiovascular, orthopedics, pharmaceuticals, or another specialty.

While the knowledge of specialized terminology is vital for translation success, its overuse is one of the greatest pitfalls for patient communications.

The Medical Technology, Pharma and Life Sciences industries are significant contributors to any economy of the world. They generate billions of dollars and employ thousands of people. With healthcare becoming increasingly globalized, the need for quality medical translation services in these industries is more critical than ever. Demand for these services are especially essential, particularly in the areas of regulatory approvals, medical devices, and clinical trials.

Technology is advancing more quickly than ever these days, and MedTech (Medical Technology) is flourishing along with it. In fact, the  World Economic Forum has designated medical technology as a  prime industry for investment in the coming years due to its robust projected growth. With such a strong presence in the medical community, MedTech companies must consider how best to serve the most people. Getting their medical documentation translated using professional medical translation services is the best and most reliable way to take a step toward that goal.

 

In many respects, the basic localization workflow for medical documentation translation is comparable to any other localization workflow: file preparation, glossary creation, translation and review, desktop publishing, final QA. However, for content related to medical devices, there are a few additional things to consider. Below are three key areas to decide upon before you start translation of medical device manuals:

Hearts are essential to our very existence – they give us vitality from even before we are born. Sadly, however, the leading cause of death worldwide is heart disease (cardiovascular disease).

According to the World Health Organization (WHO):

Medical translation is a critical part of outsourcing clinical trials to contract research organizations (CROs) around the world. 

This blog highlights precautions you can take before translation, during translation, and after translation in order to tackle the obstacles of medical translations and optimize the quality of medical content in target languages. 

 

The clinical trial process for medical drugs can take up to two decades and cost over $1 billion. Translating clinical trial information and results can be a challenging, but vital, component of the process. In order to translate clinical trial materials successfully, it is important to understand the requirements and potential pitfalls.

 

The amazing thing about technology is that so much of it is almost invisible. People can see the results of technology, but the communication and translation required to supply that information is often overlooked. The Internet of Things (IoT) is a type of tech that can be hard to notice and readily be aware of.

The healthcare industry, which already produces devices and instruments that are smart, interconnected and intelligent will be able to create new and even better modes of interaction between them by connecting medical devices via cloud computing.

As we saw in an earlier blog this month, the new ISO 17100 certification increases customer confidence and gives reassurance that Language Service Providers (LSPs) follow a recognised specialist standard while under taking any translation project. It also provides assurance that appropriately qualified native translators are employed to undertake all projects in a professional and effective manner to the latest industry standards. 

CRO (Contract Research Organization) is a service provider to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device industries. They offer a range of services on a contract basis. The advantage for clients of CROs is that they do not have to invest in and maintain a team for these services (including translation) which is rather costly.