PROFESSIONAL & ACCURATE TRANSLATIONS
The medical and pharmaceutical industry is subject to strict rules and extremely specific procedures. That is why it is crucial that when you need a translation you can call on a reliable partner who works with translators and proofreaders who know the jargon and have sound background knowledge of the medical and pharmaceutical sector.
We have considerable experience with the translation of medical reports, patient records, clinical studies, patient information leaflets, operating instructions for medical equipment and devices, etc.
EXPERTISE
A good translator is not just a master of his or her native language; he or she also has to have a sound background knowledge of the medical and pharmaceutical industry to understand the content and any sensitivities. The translators and interpreters with whom we cooperate gathered this knowledge by translating for the medical and pharmaceutical industry for years, keeping up to date by retraining frequently and talking to specialists.
On top of this, the various translators we work with have also gained experience as interpreters during JCI accreditation projects in hospitals and audits by international bodies such as the FDA and EMA.
CONSISTENT TERMINOLOGY
Translations for the medical and pharmaceutical industry don’t just have to be extremely accurate. The terminology must also be consistent throughout the translation to prevent misunderstandings. The use of a translation memory is imperative in this respect. Starting with the first translation, we create a translation memory and termbase for every single project, which we can then use for your future projects..
WHAT KINDS OF CREATIVE TRANSLATIONS DO WE PRODUCE?
- Leaflets / packaging
- User instructions for medical devices
- Informed Consents (IC)
- Manuals
- Clinical trials
- Medical literature
- Medical reports
- Newsletters
- Patient records
- Presentations
- Product information sheets
- Protocols
- Software
- Prescriptions
- Surveys & questionnaires
- Websites
Examples of projects
SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC
For the Standaard Uitgeverij, a famous Belgian publishing house, we worked together with two translators to translate the French book ‘Hormones au féminin’ by Dr. Sylvie Demers into Dutch (‘De kracht van vrouwelijke hormonen’, the power of female hormones). This book discusses the benefits and disadvantages of female hormone therapies.
This translation project posed a number of challenges:
> We had to produce a clear translation of a complicated topic for the general public.
> A tight deadline: 288 pages translated in a very short time span.
> Perfectly aligning the terminology used by the two translators.
Despite these challenges, the project was a great success, which is evident from the many positive reactions from readers on the various bookstores and websites where the book is sold (such as www.bol.com). ISBN 9789022333716
PRODUCT SHEETS / CATALOGUES / USER INSTRUCTIONS
For a number of years, we have been working for various companies selling medical devices, nutritional supplements and orthopedic products. In fact, when you visit a pharmacy you are very likely to find product packaging that we have translated.
The translation of packaging, instructions for use and product sheets requires a high degree of accuracy, linguistic creativity and consistent terminology. The messages on the packaging may be brief, but they need to be compelling enough for the patient to trust the product.
It is also essential to take extra care to ensure the correct translation of claims. A correct translation is all about the detail. An example:
The product contains a patented silicone gel, which protects the toe, relieves pain immediately and helps corns to disappear.“
A careless translation could have resulted in the following:
“Het product bevat een gepatenteerde siliconengel die de teen beschermt, de pijn onmiddellijk verlicht en likdoorns doet verdwijnen.” (makes corns disappear)
Correct translation:
“Het product bevat een gepatenteerde siliconengel die de teen beschermt, de pijn onmiddellijk verlicht en helpt bij de bestrijding van likdoorns.” (helps corns to disappear)
INFORMED CONSENTS / CLINICAL TRIALS / PATIENT RECORDS
We regularly translate informed consent documents, clinical trials and patient records.
The patient must be fully aware of the details of the trial in which he or she is participating. It is therefore of great importance that every word is interpreted the way it was intended by the author of the study or informed consent document. This is particularly crucial in the event of audits by international bodies such as the JCI and the FDA.