Essential tips for accuracy and compliance in medical translations.
2025-04-04
Blog
In the field of health care, accurate medical translations are critical for patient safety, effective treatment, and regulatory compliance. Unlike general translation work, medical translation requires deep expertise in both language and medical terminology.
In one of our recent webinars, Anne Backman, CMedO at Care to Translate, highlighted the unique challenges of medical translations and provided best practice insights. These are the key takeaways from that webinar, as well as essential tips for ensuring high-quality medical translations.
Medical translation is more than just converting words from one language to another. It requires a deep understanding of medical terminology, healthcare procedures, and regulatory requirements. As Anne Backman pointed out:
“Our network consists of native translators with medical expertise. This makes a big difference because they are fluent in medical lingo, which general translators are not.”
Misinterpretations of medical terms can have severe consequences, including misdiagnoses and malpractice. But translators with medical backgrounds help avoid critical errors, such as confusing “encephalitis” with “encephalopathy” or “infection” with “inflammation.”
Medical localization ensures that translated content is relevant and culturally appropriate for the target audience. Differences in healthcare systems, terminology, and cultural norms mean that direct translations may not always be effective. For example:
“Some countries use private practitioners instead of healthcare centers. In Sweden, midwives handle maternal care, while in other countries, doctors do. Localization ensures translations reflect these differences.”
Localization goes beyond word-for-word translation. It requires adapting content to fit the target region’s medical practices, laws, and cultural sensitivities.
Healthcare content often deals with sensitive topics, such as reproductive health, mental health, and medical conditions. Different cultures have varying levels of openness regarding such topics, making it essential to choose wording carefully.
“Some languages barely even have a word for female genitalia. It’s called ‘the shameful thing down there.’ You can’t write that in a medical translation.”
Striking the right balance between accuracy and cultural appropriateness ensures that translated healthcare materials are effective while remaining respectful.
Medical translations must be precise, with consistent terminology across different documents and languages. Inconsistent translations can lead to confusion among healthcare professionals and patients alike.
“A wound and an ulcer are the same word in Swedish, but in English, they have different meanings. Without careful translation, this can cause errors in patient care.”
Using a translation memory system and standardized medical glossaries helps maintain consistency across all healthcare documents, from patient questionnaires to medical device instructions.
Even the best translations should undergo testing with native speakers and healthcare professionals. This helps identify ambiguities and ensures that the translation makes sense in real-world scenarios. As Tove Karlsson from Doctrin shared:
“We had a translation for ‘Did you pass wind in the past 24 hours?’ but that was too polite. Patients didn’t understand it. We had to adjust to a more commonly understood phrase.”
Testing translations with actual end-users ensures clarity, accuracy, and ease of understanding.
Medical translation is not just about words, it directly impacts patient care, safety, and compliance. Whether you are translating medical records, patient information leaflets, or digital health platforms, following these best practices ensures that your healthcare translations are accurate and effective.
If you need expert medical translation services, Care to Translate offers solutions designed for healthcare professionals, ensuring high-quality and medically accurate translations. Contact us to learn more about how we can help with your medical localization needs.
You can watch the entire webinar on localization and translation in medical settings here.
Learn more about what our medical translation customers think about our service here.