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Specialised translators

The terminology used in medical translation seems, perhaps mistakenly, more complex than that found in other specialist fields. As with any specialist content that requires specific expertise, it is best to entrust medical translations to linguists trained in the technicalities of this terminology.

It is also important that translators really understand the ins and outs of the texts they are translating. A good medical culture is a key asset. Localising content is also essential in medical translation to adapt units of measurement and practice in the target country. More generally, if the content is aimed at the general public, a good knowledge of the culture and local customs makes it possible to know which language choices are most relevant.

Our translators specialise in medical translation, but often are even more specialised still within the medical field, such as surgery, orthopaedics, dentistry, medical equipment, infectious diseases, oncology, paediatrics, public health, etc. We therefore choose the linguists who are most suited to your request. All of them translate into their mother tongue, of course.

If the medical translation is used to explain how to use devices or administer treatments and supports patient care, a single mistranslated term can be the source of extremely serious misunderstandings, which can go so far as to endanger human lives.

Besides our overall quality objective, this is one of the reasons why we leave no room for doubt and do not hesitate to ask our clients questions, however small the need for clarification may be.  As such, if you wish to check the delivered translation and speak to our linguists (e.g. questions, comments), we provide you with a discussion platform that enables you to talk directly to the head linguist.

In-depth quality control

We use a three-phase process to make sure your content is safe.

After the first linguist has translated the text, a second professional translator always reviews it and makes any corrections in to spot potential misinterpretations and misunderstandings in the text. For sensitive content, a third linguist is integrated into the process.

Our editors are passionate about science: they have often had additional formal education in life sciences, biology, pharmacy, etc. They then maintain this knowledge on an ongoing basis by attending training courses or conferences and by keeping in contact with their peers.  They hold a diploma in International Communication in Health Sciences. They systematically carry out quality control on the delivered translations.

Always striving for optimal quality, we regularly carry out linguistic assessments (tests) to maintain our level of service.

If our client wishes, we can provide compliance certificates for our translations or other guarantees that they deem necessary.

People sometimes ask if we work with health professionals, and in particular, if we work with doctors. As a moral and intellectual voice, would doctors be better translators? > See our article “Do you have to be a doctor to do medical translation?” 

However, being a good doctor or a good biologist does not make you a good linguist. Specialised training courses have been around for more than twenty years. A few universities offer specialised courses for hand-picked linguists. Master’s translation programmes focusing on the world of health train translators specialising in the biomedical and pharmacological fields. Linguists can develop technical, terminological, biological and medical skills, and, in particular, learn to master terminology and documentary research methods.

We believe they are the true professionals of medical translation, and they have proven their worth over twenty years. They are the people we work with, and so far our customers have been very happy!

Knowledge of regulations

Faced with the complex and increasingly strict regulations that govern the entire medical industry, it is important that linguists are up to speed. In some cases, like calls for tender and marketing authorisations, for which there are many prescriptive requirements, understanding the ins and outs enables linguists to approach the topic in an informed way. In the pharmaceutical sector in particular, regulatory compliance and requirements related to quality, integrity, traceability and safety are issues that must be properly considered.

Respecting confidentiality and codes of ethics

When it comes to your sensitive content, the issue of confidentiality is key. Our translators agree to keep the files entrusted to them absolutely confidential. In concrete terms, they sign a confidentiality agreement with us, which we take to form part of the one we sign with you.

Finally, with regard to our guarantee, in the unlikely event of a major problem, rest assured that we have taken out a very extensive civil liability insurance. We can provide it on request.