Posted on: June 21, 2021 by admin
As healthcare professionals, making sure your patients are informed and comfortable is your first focus, and this doesn’t just start when they walk in your door. If your website is not in their native language, it creates a barrier to understanding.
Most people will search for your business and additional medical information online first, and it is important to demonstrate how you can accommodate their needs at this initial stage. Providing things like directions and booking information in a patient’s native language will do a great deal to calm any anxiety relating to their medical needs.
If the information on your website is already accessible, it will save time for staff as they will not have to provide the information themselves. This can often involve miscommunication and frustration if a language barrier exists. An accurate and informative translated website allows staff to refer patients directly to relevant information.
If a healthcare website is not accessible in a person’s language, they will often switch to another website that provides this service, as they may be unable to find the information they require. Becoming the site that offers their language can help you acquire new patients that are not finding it elsewhere.
With clear communication between staff, patients and online resources, a higher level of information regarding medical process, treatments and products can be achieved. This can only lead to better health outcomes for patients.
When it comes to medical interpretation, it is not like regular language interpretation. There needs to be a specialised understanding of medical terminology, tone and form, so no misinterpretation occurs. No computer can match the skill of a highly qualified NAATI certified translator. Read more about why you should hire a specialised medical interpreter.
To ensure you are covering all demographics you are trying to reach, do some research into your competitor’s websites and take notes on which languages they provide translations for. Furthermore, if you are looking to reach a local market, you can look into census data to build community profiles.
Websites can often contain a multitude of information and resources. As a healthcare professional website, we suggest starting your translation process with the most important information first. For example, critical information like how to access healthcare services, your contact information, and the availability of language assistance should be translated first.
When starting the translation process for your website, it is important to remember that cultural differences matter. What is normal for English speakers may not be the cultural norm for non-English speakers. New or adjusted messages may need to replace existing information to account for cultural considerations when translating your website.
The cost of not translating your healthcare website can be too high. If patients cannot navigate your website, they may delay care or interpret information incorrectly. A thorough and accurate healthcare website translation completed by experienced and trusted translators will improve patient outreach and overall experience on your website. The more experienced the NAATI certified translator, the lesser the chance of errors due to their knowledge of medical abbreviations, idiomatic expressions, connotation, lexical meaning, terminology, and syntax, in addition to an overall in-depth understanding of the medical sector and its considerations.
Speak Your Language is here for all your translation needs. Contact us online or call 1300 000 795 to get a free quote today.
