Chinese Medical Translation Services: Challenges

With globalization, several industries have seen a rise in assistance from language translation services. The medical industry is also one such industry that has started relying on medical translation services for various purposes. These services include the conversion of different healthcare documents into various languages to ensure clarity and inclusivity with the global audience.

Importance of Chinese Medical Translation Services

China is one such country that, over the years, has become a hub for top-notch medical facilities. And to ensure that these facilities are accurate and accessible for all, Chinese Medical Translation Services are hired. Over the years, it has made giant strides to enhance their medical industry, with their government passing several laws—such as fast-tracked drug approvals—in the past few decades. A consumer base as large as 1.4 billion people requires companies within the medical industry to provide accurate content. And to satisfy this demand for high accuracy, Chinese Translation Services or more importantly, medical translation services, have become essential. Similarly, it has become mandatory for foreign medical companies to translate all their content into simplified Chinese to sell them in the market—further boosting the need for translation services.

These services employ skilled native Chinese linguists with a strong medical background to provide professional linguistic services.

Some important and complex medical documents that require translation services are:

• Patient Medical Records
• Consent Forms
• Prescriptions
• Diagnostic Reports
• Medical Device Instructional Manual
• Clinical Trial Reports
• Drug Labels

Furthermore, there are some unique challenges faced by linguists during these translations. Let’s explore them.

Challenges in Translating Medical Documents into Chinese

Linguists face certain challenges due to the combination of the specialization of the field, the complexity of the language, and the varying dialects within the Chinese language.

Some other key challenges faced by medical linguists are:

• Traditional Chinese Medicine vs. Western Medicine: The Chinese people are firm believers in traditional Chinese medicines. Traditional concepts such as Yin and Yang, Qi, Wǔ Xíng, Zang-Xiang Theory, etc., are all unique to China and do not have direct alternatives in any common western language. Translators need to provide concepts rather than direct words while converting these words. The use of vast concepts to define certain specialized terms poses one of the biggest challenges for translators.
• Cultural Differences in Medical Practices: Traditional remedies like acupuncture, medical massage, herbal medicines, etc. are deeply rooted in the Chinese medical usage. Companies and translators need to align their content in accordance with these methods. For example, an oncology pharmaceutical company trying to expand in China must focus more on marketing of acupuncture products and services in the Chinese language.
• Following Medical Regulations: Pharma companies holding Clinical Trials on different medicines must submit their reports to the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). These reports must be accurately converted into simplified Chinese, and translators often struggle with some legal terminologies in the reports. To tackle this challenge, linguists must be aware of the legal nuances of the regions and make the documents compliant with them.
• Curating Technical Information: Certain important information in reports and descriptions contains technical information like dosage, expiration dates, concentration levels, etc. It is imperative that linguists should have a strong medical background to accurately convert this information according to the Chinese demographic.
• Variations in Regional Dialects: There are countless different dialects in China—each with unique linguistic adjustments. A medical linguist must be aware of the target audience of the client and the dialect spoken in the region. Having a knowledge of dialects would also help linguists provide accurate Real-Time Interpretation Service to patients and doctors.

To explore more about some effective tips for English-to-Chinese medical translations, do check out this interesting blog, Key Practices for Effective English to Chinese Medical Translation.

Contact a Professional Translation Agency

Finding a professional translation partner is essential for medical companies. There is a certain checklist one should follow to find the best-suited translation company.

• Agency must have a global network of translators.
• Must provide high-skilled native linguists with good knowledge of medical terminology.
• Must hold an ISO certification for assured quality of their translations.
• Their services should be cost-effective without any hidden charges.
• Needs to have excellent customer service.
• They should have strict data security policies.

In this diverse pool of translation agencies, Somya Translators is the one that encompasses all these prerequisites. With an award-winning language service, they strive to streamline all linguistic challenges to improve the healthcare sector.

Contact us today and get competent services curated to help you in every capacity!