in Localization Tips, Translation

It’s hard to put into words just how big the Life Science industry truly is, and what it encompasses. At its core, Life Science is the study of living organisms. For the everyday consumer, it’s an extremely diverse technological industry that produces trillions of dollars’ worth of biotechnologies, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and life systems technologies. The bottom line is that the industry is important and has a significant impact on the well-being of the world. As businesses continue to globalize, and the world becomes more interconnected, the need for high quality Life Science translation is greater than ever.

The Importance of Quality In Life Science Translation

Any life science product from medical equipment to life-saving pharmaceuticals needs to be accompanied with technical information in order to be consistent and understandable.  Not investing in quality translation can be a risky and dangerous choice for any international companies dealing with medical products and services. For example, if the instructions to a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine developed in Germany cannot be accurately translated to Japanese, a patient could be at tremendous risk.

The Life Science industry is also unique in that information is not just shared from business to consumer, but also from business to business. Scientists work all across the globe and often scientific processes are done in pieces and shared with different development teams. If a pharmaceutical drug has its labeling inconsistently or inaccurately translated, there is a risk of a miscommunication in its development process which could thereby result in a faulty or even deadly drug.

Luckily, as the Life Science industry continues to grow, so do regulation procedures and translation solutions. The industry has a process known as linguistic validation which ensures and protects the quality of medical translations shared across the globe. Important information such as Quality of Life (QoL) or Patient Reported Outcomes (PROs) can now be intricately examined for any translation inconsistencies because of these accessible linguistic validation services. If you buy a pharmaceutical drug manufactured in the United States, you can now be sure that its instructions are valid and consistent across any language requirement you may need.

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Getting Life Science translation right is a complicated process but one that needs to be done correctly. Not only do translators need to have a comprehensive fluency of a translated language, but they must also be subject matter experts to ensure the highest quality translation can be made. The demands and expectations placed on this new wave of translators are high, but important.  Translation is a subtle art that needs attention, and it’s vital to find a company that is committed to the process.

 

Written by Patrick Keefe, Technical Writer at CSOFT International

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