by Michael Bastin | 10 Dec, 2024 | Translation
The UK’s multilingual healthcare system is very inclusive. It caters to one of the world’s most diverse populations, with more than 300 different languages spoken in the country.
Healthcare providers must bridge both linguistic and cultural divides for successful patient care.
For this reason, accurate medical translation has a very important role to play in overcoming communication gaps, improving patient safety, and saving lives.
The need for effective communication
Communication failure in healthcare can be fatal, potentially leading to a wrong diagnosis or inappropriate treatment. A patient who is not fluent in English needs to have effective communication while receiving medical services.
Medical translation ensures that appropriate information is passed to the patient about their diagnosis, treatment plan, and medication; thus, the patient can make the right decisions.
Informed consent is the basis of ethical practice in medicine. Patients must know the risks, benefits, and alternative treatments before agreeing to certain medical practices.
Proper translation ensures that people who cannot speak English are fully informed about their care; therefore, their rights and legal freedom are preserved.
Reducing medical errors
A medical misinterpretation is usually the outcome of an incorrect translation.
In a multilingual society, even slight mistranslation of symptoms, history, or drug prescriptions may lead to fatal errors.
Professional medical translation has mitigated such risks; a patient will receive accurate information from the health providers, and vice versa.
Critical areas where medical translation is crucial in the UK’s multilingual healthcare system:
Emergency services
Every second counts in emergencies. There is a likelihood of miscommunication delaying critical interventions and worsening the outcomes for patients.
Professional interpreters or real-time translation technologies ensure a timely and efficient exchange of information in emergency settings to allow timely care.
Mental health services
Mental health care services depend a lot on oral communication when diagnosing problems, conducting therapy, and offering the support needed.
Patients can access mental health care if they receive adequate translation since they might only converse in minimal English or none at all.
Chronic disease management
Follow-up cases of diabetes or hypertension require tight scheduling in line with complex treatment algorithms; however, accuracy with translations will empower the patient to carry out their task concerning responsibilities, lifestyle adjustment, and medicine intake schedule, enhancing better health outcomes.
It consists of many technical words in the medical language, which may not be very understandable to someone who is unfamiliar with it. It also makes translation difficult in many places.
Translating the proper meaning into everyday terminology demands profound knowledge of medical science.
Cultural differences
Cultural context impacts a patient’s perception of illness and treatment.
Therefore, translators have to be sensitive to those differences when translating. For example, while explaining mental health conditions to a culture that considers the subjects taboo, care must be taken about the words used.
A common problem within the NHS is that there are no professional interpreters. While some facilities rely on ad hoc interpreters, using, for example, family members, this is generally inconsistent and usually breaches confidentiality.
The role of technology in medical translations
There are real-time translation softwares and mobile apps for hospitals available in the market that are fast-adapting to the healthcare setting.
This allows for immediate translation so that a healthcare provider can communicate properly with a patient during consultations.
Limitations of machine translation
Although machine translation improves every year, it cannot replace human knowledge.
Thus, the most pressing and critical issues in healthcare are still medical nuances, cultural context, and emotional cues that may get lost in machine translation and lead to serious errors.
Benefits of investing in medical translation services
Enhanced patient satisfaction
The chances of a patient being misheard and therefore mistreated are lower if a patient is being treated in their choice language and, therefore, treated as a human and will end up having higher satisfaction rates.
This also promotes trust in the health care system, increasing the chances that a person sees a doctor when needed.
Improved health outcomes
Accurate translation will ensure that patients adhere to their treatment regimens appropriately and, as such, ensure better health outcomes.
Early detection and management of diseases through translation will ensure reduced hospital admissions and healthcare costs.
Reduced litigation risks
This miscommunication may sometimes lead to litigation issues in case patients feel they have not been informed appropriately.
Investment in professional translation services minimises such risks, hence avoiding possible lawsuits among healthcare providers.
Medical translation in the UK: future considerations
Access to more professional interpreters
This would alleviate the shortage by expanding the number of certified medical translators and could fund training programs.
It would support professional interpretation services at all health facilities, whether it is a rural or less funded area.
Artificial intelligence with human experience
A hybrid model that combines human oversight with AI translation tools would improve efficiency with no loss of quality in translations.
This would accelerate progress as well as maintain high quality from both technology and human resources.
Facilitating target language health resources
Direct education material in the appropriate language could make it easier for patients to care for themselves better. Materials can range from leaflets and videos to website content created for an audience of specific linguistic and cultural groups.
Accurate medical translation is no longer a luxury but a necessity to save lives in the multilingual healthcare of the UK. It breaks the barriers of language among healthcare providers in delivering equal and effective care to all patients, promoting safety, dignity, and better health outcomes.
The UK will continue to be diverse, and investment in robust medical translation services will continue to be necessary for safeguarding public health.
by Michael Bastin | 14 Feb, 2020 | Business Tips, Translation
As more and more businesses expand into international markets, the need for translation has increased.
It can be tempting for companies to rely on bilingual employees or translation software for this work, but is that enough?
Is it worth spending money on a professional translation service?
The dangers of doing it alone
As with any professional translation service, qualified translators guarantee a quality product.
Although translation software has come a long way, it still fails to produce nuanced texts which take context into consideration.
And, while your bilingual employee might have no problems communicating with international business partners in their native language, without experience and training they will struggle to produce accurate translations that are fit for service.
Not to mention, it will take them much longer than a professional.
Relying on these subpar measures will lead to translations containing errors, leaving your customers with a negative impression of your company.
Bad translations tell people that you are unprofessional and may lead them to question your company’s abilities in other areas.
This could result in loss of business and, in the worst cases of mistranslation, legal action being taken against you.
The value of spending money on a professional translation service
Now that we’ve touched upon the issue of poor-quality amateur translation, let’s take a look at how and why professional translators are able to produce such high standards of work.
Like experts in most fields, it comes down to training and experience.
Professional translators, like those working for BeTranslated, have gone through many years of education in order to become experts in translation, as well as working hard to be skillful linguists in their language combinations.
In addition to this, professional translators usually have experience and training in their specialisms. For example, financial translators may have studied economics or travel and tourism translators may have worked in the travel industry.
This education is continuous throughout their career; translators must stay on top of changes in both the translation industry and the industry of the specialism, as well as continually working on their linguistic skills.
This effort leads to highly skilled professionals whose work cannot be compared to that of amateurs or machines.
It’s also worth noting that when you hire translators through an agency such as BeTranslated, you can rest assured that all their translators are of a certain standard and that they exclusively translate into their native language.
Investing in translation means investing in your business success
If your company’s motto has been “let’s try to do it ourselves instead of hiring a professional” in relation to translation, we hope that the information provided in this article is making you question your stance. Your attempts to save money by skimping on translation could prove costly in the long run.
Instead of asking yourself if you should outsource to a professional translation service, you should start asking, “What is the best translation service for my business?”
Finding the right translator for you, who is skilled and knowledgeable in your industry, could make or break your international expansion.
At BeTranslated we work with talented translators with language combinations such as English to Dutch and Spanish to French.
If you are in search of a reliable translation service, look no further. For more information or a free, no-obligation quote, contact us today.
by Marian Gomez | 5 Jun, 2019 | Property Translation, Translation, Travel and Tourism
Property documentation translation is too important to be left to amateurs or to automatic machine translation engines such as Google Translate.
Even the smallest mistake could have disastrous consequences on your estate agency or holiday letting agent, causing a significant drop in your ROI. Find out just how to save your company from falling into this common trap…
The importance of working with professional translators
Your agency has everything it needs to succeed: an attractive website, beautiful photos of your properties, outstanding customer service, and your purchase or rental advertising is bringing in client after client.
Nevertheless, make sure you don’t lose your way when it comes to the translation of property documentation from English into any language your client may require.
Our professional translation agency specialises in the translation of property contracts and knows all the ins and outs of these documents, always making sure to maintain total accuracy.
These documents are the key point of contact between a future buyer or tenant and can make or break a deal.
We understand the importance of a well-translated contract, and we are always sure to provide our customers with a polished final translation.
Hire qualified, native translators
Our team of certified linguists have years of experience in the tourism and property sector and are therefore well-equipped to provide you with a contract in the language of your choice, respecting all the clauses of the original.
Do have a Russian buyer interested in a seaside villa or apartment? No problem!
BeTranslated’s translators based in Moscow and Saint-Petersburg will be assigned the task of translating the contract of sale into Russian.
The same applies to Chinese, Korean, Czech, or Arabic clients: we are happy to translate into any language commonly used in the property sector.
How to stand out in a booming sector
Our online translation agency also provides copywriting and SEO services for your property and tourism blogs in a large variety of languages – the perfect option to attract potential buyers from all around the world.
This customer outreach and marketing will help you stay a cut above the rest.
Our team of certified linguists can give you a helping hand to create quality content to turn even the biggest homebodies into potential international buyers or renters of property in the UK, USA, Spain, or elsewhere!
BeTranslated: your number one agency for property documentation translation
Our translation agency holds a sterling reputation in the property and tourist accommodation sectors and, in addition to legal documents such as contracts, we have an excellent track record providing content for blogs and rental sites all over the world.
This is thanks to the passion and work ethic of our team of language professionals who specialise in the field of property sale and rental in the UK and abroad.
We work with all file formats (even PDF) and on all online platforms such as WordPress or Drupal. Need a translation of a blog piece urgently from English into Spanish? No problem!
Our linguists are ready for anything, true pioneers of the online translation world.
Does your property rental or holiday villa estate agency need a boost to reach new international markets?
A well-executed localisation project might be just the ticket! Get in touch today for a quick, free, no-commitment quote!
by Michael Bastin | 8 Nov, 2017 | Translation, Freelancing
Ever felt like jacking it all in, leaving your 9-5 office job where you’re a slave to someone else? How about booking a one-way ticket out of here, to somewhere hot with great cocktails, sun, and sea!?
The big question is how could you make that work financially?
Check out this list of inspiring freelance jobs to give you some ideas, and don’t forget to build a resume with an AI resume builder that highlights your skills and experience in your chosen field.
Become a freelance translator
Do you speak a second language? You will find yourself in demand as a translator, especially if English is your first language and you are fluent in a second.
In order to become a freelance translator, you will need to get qualifications, such as a degree, but once you have that you can develop a thriving career that you can do from anywhere in the world.
Try your hand at stock photography
Have a natural eye and flair for taking beautiful pictures? Use your travel and adventures to capture those special shots which can be listed on stock photography websites and sold for a small price.
Build your portfolio, and you can start to have a regular income from something you really love doing.
As inspiring freelance jobs go, being a photographer might seem unrealistic, but once you gain some experience you could specialise as a wedding/baby/party photographer in the area you’re living in if you stay there long term.
It takes more time to build up a reputation and become known, but the pay cheque would be bigger.
Develop a teaching talent
Native English speakers can use their skills to teach English online or abroad. Get a TEFL qualification that can be done quickly and reasonably, and have fun helping others to learn your language.
This can be a very enjoyable and rewarding job and, due to the high demand for English teachers, there are vacancies literally all over the world. It’s the perfect job for sociable people who love to travel and learn about new cultures.
Virtual assistants will always be needed
Are you good at administration?
Organised?
Computer-literate?
This one’s for you; be an online PA.
Perhaps you’ll never meet the person you work for, but you will assist them with any number of varied tasks they need completing and build a relationship on a professional level, all whilst being in completely different locations many miles away.
For the expressive writer types
Blog! As a writer, you could build your own blog or write content for someone else. How about becoming a ghostwriter or publishing your own eBook?
If you love expressing yourself on paper, this is an option you will really enjoy.
With a strong online presence being of utmost importance for any business today, this is a great way to offer your skills to help keep any company on the front line.
Don’t have an office? Who needs one? Work from the beach, coffee shop, pool, or a coworking space. The world is your oyster.
Our examples of inspiring freelance jobs can give you the freedom to work anywhere in the world at any time.
You can hold down your job and still have time to soak up the sun and take a dip in the pool, all whilst exploring life overseas! What are you waiting for?
As you prepare for life in a foreign country, you may find yourself in need of professional translation services.
BeTranslated is here for you. Whether you need documents translated into Japanese or a website translated into Dutch, we have the right translator for you.
Get in touch today for more information or a free, no-obligation quote.
