Anatomy of success

Instead of a scalpel, we prefer a dictionary. Rather than a CAT scan, we reach for our grammar books. No need for bandages; our thesaurus will suffice. While a translator’s tools are very different to those of health professionals, our approach is the same. Much like the operating theatre, the slightest error in the world of medical translation may prove fatal: a misplaced comma could be as lethal as a misguided scalpel.

A quality procedure

Specific to each domain, medical language requires a perfect command of the source language and in-depth knowledge of specialist terminology. If there is one domain where misinterpretations or approximations will not be tolerated, this is it. textocreativ operates with surgical precision in marketing and communication as well as in more technical fields. When intended for the general public, content can take the form of TV commercials, ads or even digital media (websites, newsletters, blogs, banners), while content targeted at health professionals includes case studies, presentations, questionnaires, protocols, consent forms and annual reports. No matter the client – whether it’s the Federal Office of Public Health, the Federation of Swiss Psychologists, the Valais Cancer League, the Denk an mich Foundation, Verfora, Labtec SAFETY, the Swiss Heart Foundation, Pro Familia Suisse or Promotion Santé Valais, to name but a few – terminology must always be adapted to the target audience, such as knowing when to use “cephalalgia” rather than “headache”.

While medical translation depends on a knowledge of Latin and Greek due to the ancient origins of human anatomy, the healthcare context sometimes requires the ability to think on your feet. We don’t have to delve very far into our memories to remember that overnight, the pandemic ushered in an array of lexical terms which were previously exclusive to the world of health professionals – coronavirus, mRNA vaccines, contact tracing, PPE, R value, rapid antigen test, false positive, etc. They took some learning: in fact, in French-speaking countries, opinions are still divided when it comes to the gender of the virus that started it all. While the Académie Française considers it to be feminine given that Covid is a disease or une maladie, it is still commonly referred to in the masculine form, un coronavirus.

Administering the right dose

Given Switzerland’s multilingual nature, medical translation has the additional challenge of ensuring that information is accessible to the entire population. For translations used on the packaging or package leaflets of therapeutic products, all content must comply with Swissmedic and TPLRO regulations. Last but not least, there is the particularly sensitive issue of confidentiality, which we guarantee by processing data securely and storing it on servers exclusively in Switzerland.

As we pull on our white coats as linguistic first responders, our approach remains the same: apply the ‘four-eyes’ principle, the systematic proofreading of translated texts. And when it comes to more creative content, we’re happy to admit that instead of sterile texts, we prefer copy that has a bit of a sting. As we all know, the best cure for textual monotony is textocreativ. Three times a day. 365 days a year. Just what the doctor ordered.