Medical translations at Språkbolaget
Medical documents are particularly sensitive as they affect so many aspects of human health. Whether a translation concerns pharmaceutical information, manuals for medical devices, clinical trials, research reports, patient education or medical records, it’s essential that the text is in the patient's or healthcare professional's native language and that all the information is accurate.
In the case of patient information, it’s perfectly natural that labeling and instructions should be in the patient’s native language to avoid harm caused by incorrect product use. However, even documents intended for doctors and other healthcare professionals may need to be translated. People often rely on staff to understand English, but unfortunately, individuals are not always as fluent in their second or third language as they believe. Even if someone possesses good knowledge of a foreign language, it’s easy to misunderstand important aspects of a text.
What does a medical translator do?
A question we often get is whether we or our translators are certified in medicine. The answer is that there is no official certification for medical translation in Sweden. Nor does the Legal, Financial and Administrative Services Agency's authorisation cover the medical field.
A medical translator possesses specialist experience in translating medical texts. This entails knowledge of the terminology and register used in the field. Translators often specialise in one or more kinds of medicine or text as the medical field is so extensive and has so many linguistic levels. The translator's task is to create a functional text in the target language, i.e. their native language. They take care to ensure that the tone and style are appropriate for the intended target audience.
However, translators are rarely doctors or researchers themselves, even though many have some form of training in the field. Therefore, in the case of sensitive information or text containing highly specialised terminology, it's important that the text is also reviewed by an expert with the appropriate language skills. Furthermore, we do not check the text for compliance with laws and directives in the intended market.
Medical translations: what we provide
Språkbolaget always assigns the same contact, who learns your specific linguistic requirements and register. By using the same translator for each project, we make sure they become familiar with your specific subject matter, incorporate feedback and build glossaries. The close contact we maintain between the translator, project manager and the customer is essential for clarifying ambiguities in the text and avoiding mistakes.
Bear in mind that experienced medical translators are quickly booked up, so feel free to contact us early in the process. Our project managers will help you schedule times for translation, linguistic review, proofreading rounds and feedback.
Read more about how we help our clients with medical translations: Karolinska, Sahlgrenska, Invinn