3 Reasons To Use A Medical Translator

Medical translators are essential for both healthcare clinics and patients. While English has become a global language over the last few years, there are still a number of UK residents whose primary language is not English. In the 2011 Census, it was reported that there were over 4 million people living in the UK who didn’t speak English as their first language. They also recorded that nearly 140,000 residents of the UK did not speak English at all.

When it comes to accessing healthcare services, individuals without a good understanding of the English language will struggle. For example, a doctor may be trying to explain a complex treatment which may be misunderstood by the patient. This could potentially lead to complications and legal implications in the future.

As a result, Absolute Translations – one of the UK’s leading providers of translation services, recommend utilising expert medical translators. Here are three ways a medical translator can benefit both healthcare professionals and patients:

Medical translations ensure the life of a patient isn’t put in danger.

Medical terminology is complicated, meaning the slightest of interpreting errors could endanger a patient. Therefore, it’s vital that hospitals rely on the translation services of specialist medical translators to accurately translate patient documents. Other doctors may not speak the language in question fluently to effectively translate. Also, family members of the patient will not have the medical training to give all the correct information to the doctor.

Medical interpreting will help patients understand their diagnosis.

Delivering a patient’s diagnosis can be difficult at the best of times. However, it is made even harder when there is a language barrier. By having an expert medical interpreter with them, doctors can deliver a sensitive diagnosis and know that patients understand all of the details. As a result, the patient will understand what treatment they will receive and what the chances of recovery are.

Medical translators can help patients over-the-phone.

Smaller practices and clinics may not be able to justify the cost of a full-time medical interpreter. However, medical interpreters can be accessed through phone calls and emails. This is an extremely cost-effective way of ensuring patients understand their treatment and ensure legal compliance.

Are you interested in using a professional medical interpreter? Get in touch with our team of specialist medical translators on 0333 577 0767 today.