The Importance of Medical Translations – The Impact on Healthcare Access
A recent scientific study revealed worrisome trends in lack of access to healthcare in the United States for those with limited English proficiency. According to the study (see hyperlink below), Spanish-speakers receive one-third less care than other Americans, even factoring other socio-economic factors. One key factor, researchers attest, is the language barrier preventing Spanish-speakers to seek out health care, or, if they do seek it out, receiving adequate care.
This lack of access to health care only sharpens the need for medical translations and interpretations. Whether the translated material be medical records, in-patient forms, informational brochures, or medicinal explanations, each document has a profound impact. A translation within the medical field reaches further than promotional material for a brand, a reflection of a business considering their clientele – medical translations directly impact lives. While hospitals, now especially in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, are stretched thin for additional resources, the need for translated materials or bedside interpreters has only grown. The medical field at its core aspires to provide care for those in need of it, to do no harm while promoting healing; how can it achieve its goal if over 25 million people have such difficulty in receiving access to the care they need?
While there may not be easy answers to these troublesome trends, a start would be greater utilization of medical translations and hospital translators. Both the private and non-profit sector of translators should be used to address the issue, providing further health-care access to Spanish-speakers. When lives are directly implicated, the ideality of translations transforms to the necessity of them.