Using Healthcare Translation Services: 5 Tips for Facilities

Providing culturally competent care is more crucial than ever, as more than 25 million patients in the U.S. have limited English proficiency (LEP). Navigating the healthcare system can be overwhelming for anyone, but non-English speaking patients face even greater barriers to care. This is why it’s important for facilities to offer healthcare translation services, which can help bridge unwanted gaps in patient-provider communication.

While there are many medical translation services available on the market, effective implementation is key to preventing critical errors and ensuring patients get the information they need. In this article, we’ll provide an overview of what translation services are and outline five tips to help you integrate them into your workflow.

What Are Healthcare Translation Services?

Healthcare translators, or medical translators, specialize in converting written medical content from one language to another. This content can include various types of patient-facing documents such as consent forms, discharge instructions, educational pamphlets, websites, and prescriptions. These services ensure that all patients, regardless of what language they speak, can understand vital information about their care.

Medical Translator vs. Medical Interpreter

To better understand what these services are, it’s also helpful to distinguish between “medical translation” and “medical interpretation.” While some facilities may use these terms interchangeably, a translator works with written information, while an interpreter facilitates verbal communication between people in real time.

Healthcare Translation Services FAQ

Now that you’ve gotten an overview of what medical translation is, you may still have some questions about implementing these services at your facility. Below, we’ll answer additional FAQs to help you make more informed decisions.

How does medical translation work?

Facilities that need help translating medical documents often contract these services from a third-party company. A good language service provider will follow a rigorous and systematic process which generally entails:

• Thoroughly reviewing and researching the content that requires translation.
• Editing and converting information into the target language word for word.
• Consulting with subject matter experts to ensure accuracy of the translated content.

What are the benefits of translation services in healthcare?

Translation services are essential for minimizing communication barriers and preventing negative health outcomes that patients with LEP are often at increased risk for. When patients receive information in their own language, they can better understand and engage in care decisions. This also minimizes medical errors and improves overall care efficiency.

Who needs medical translation?

Any patient who doesn’t speak the same language as their provider should be offered medical translation services. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits individuals from being denied services based on the language that they speak. So, facilities receiving federal funding may also be legally required to translate documents for their patients.

What do medical translation services cost?

The cost of these services will vary by company and the complexity of the content that needs to be translated. But, on average, healthcare translation companies typically charge between $0.12 and $0.40 per word.

5 Tips for Using Healthcare Translation Services

If you’re preparing to use translation services at your facility, you may be wondering how to make the process as smooth as possible. Here are five tips to help both you and your patients get the most out of these services.

1. Consider Your Patients’ Needs

Before contracting any language services, you’ll need to figure out what you’re looking for. Carefully evaluate the needs of your community and consider your patient demographics. This will allow you to identify what types of services or languages you want to prioritize.

Translation services can get expensive. So, if a company isn’t proficient in the languages that most of your patients understand, they’re not going to be worth the cost. You’ll also want to ensure that translations reflect the health literacy level of your patient base.

2. Choose a Reputable Language Service Provider

After you’ve defined what you’re looking for, you’ll need to research and vet reputable service providers. Medical translation can be complex, requiring both subject matter expertise and bilingual proficiency. Some companies offer translations in a wide range of languages, but they may not have the healthcare expertise needed to translate terminology accurately.

For more guidance, you can refer to the Department of Justice’s comprehensive tool designed to help with the selection of language access providers. You can also browse and compare a list of healthcare translation services on the Martech Health Directory.

3. Ensure HIPAA Compliance

Healthcare translation often involves handling sensitive patient information, so HIPAA compliance should be made a priority. Be prepared to enter a Business Associate Agreement with any companies you’re partnering with. This will ensure that these companies uphold all HIPAA standards and commit to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of your patients.

4. Centralize Your Translation Requests

Your facility should also implement an organized system for centralizing translation requests. Consider creating an internal department where all language services are managed by a dedicated team. The duties of these staff members will vary by facility, but they should generally be responsible for:

• Overseeing all translation/interpretation services needed at your facility.
• Coordinating with external language providers and third-party companies.
• Allocating resources and managing budgets for language services.
• Storing and updating non-sensitive documents (e.g., educational pamphlets) that have already been translated into different languages.

5. Hire and Train In-House Staff

While third-party companies will handle most of the translation work, you may also need to hire internal staff to supplement these language services. For example, an in-house interpreter can be beneficial when patients need urgent clarification on medical forms. A bilingual healthcare provider can also help verify the accuracy of documents before they’re given to patients.

Additionally, your bedside staff should be trained on how to place translation requests as needed. If their patients are having trouble understanding documents, they should know who to contact or how to get in touch with the translation department for further assistance.

Discover More Ways to Build an Inclusive Environment

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