Medical translation in Madrid

Clinical records and patient information

Discharge summaries, test results, medical histories, letters, certificates and consent forms are examples of material we can assess. A date, measurement, negation or medication name may affect the meaning of a clinical account. We do not fill gaps in an unreadable source or guess at an ambiguous handwritten note. If the original is unclear, the safest course is to obtain clarification or a better copy.

A consent form for patients has to preserve the explanation of the procedure and the risks described in the original while remaining understandable to its intended reader. A report for another clinical team uses a different register. Translation does not replace a clinician's explanation to a patient, nor does it give medical advice. Please tell us whether the document is for a consultation, a patient-facing process or another purpose so that the linguistic work can be defined appropriately.

Terms across a whole case file

A file may contain brand and generic medicine names, abbreviations, laboratory results and several references to the same condition. We consider how those parts relate to one another and avoid unnecessary changes in terminology. If your healthcare organisation has approved terms, patient information templates or earlier translations, send the relevant material. We still need to check that each term fits the new document.

The country in which the translation will be used matters. Forms, specialty names and conventions may differ even when the language is shared. The translation languages helps identify a possible pair, but availability for the direction and subject is confirmed after assessment. A patient leaflet and a specialist report should not be written for an imaginary generic audience.

Checking sensitive details

Bilingual review compares a translated text with the source for omitted information, altered meaning and mismatched figures. In clinical material, dates, units, values, anatomical references and negative findings need particular care. Polishing the target prose alone cannot show that a result or qualification has been carried over correctly. The review and file checks should be set out as part of the agreed assignment.

Medical records also contain personal information. Tell us before sharing files if your organisation requires a particular confidentiality agreement or transfer method. Supply only what is necessary for assessment. If the record exists in several versions, identify the one to be translated and indicate what changed; a quotation based on an earlier report may not cover the final material.

Medical and pharmaceutical work

Pharmaceutical translation can concern research, manufacturing, product information and regulatory material, each with its own conventions. A personal clinical report is not automatically a pharmaceutical document because it mentions a medicine. A device manual may require technical translation as well as familiarity with healthcare terminology. We need to see what the file does before assigning it to a service category.

If a certificate or report will be filed with an authority, ask whether it requires sworn translation in Spain or another form of certification abroad. Medical subject knowledge and formal authorisation are separate issues. The receiving body's instructions govern the presentation, and availability is checked for the exact language direction. An ordinary clinical report should not be given unnecessary certification by assumption.

Preparing a quotation

Include all pages, tables and annexes that need translation. A clear digital PDF is preferable to cropped photographs; if a photo is all you have, make sure every figure and annotation is visible. Tell us whether you need an editable file or a document with a layout similar to the original. Volume, languages, subject, source quality and timing all affect the proposal. Read about our translation services and quality checks, or send the material through the quote form.