Accuracy issues with Software “Push Button” Translations

“It scares the heck out of me that people are still thinking it is effective,” said Dr. Charles Lee, referring to a commonly used computer software program responsible for translating prescription labels.

Studies conducted in 2010 reveal that such programs are only around 50 percent accurate. This means that if you cannot read English and have therefore requested your medical prescription label be printed in Spanish, there is a 50% chance it could be delivering incorrect instructions!

Similar studies found that some instructions were left entirely untranslated. If the software program couldn’t understand a word like “dropperfuls”, for example, it simply left it in English. If a Spanish speaking patient went home with such instructions and was unable to follow up with an inquisitive phone call to the pharmacy, s/he could be easily misguided. Mistranslating dosages could be equally as dangerous; if a software program misinterpreted and/or mistranslated “one pill three times a day” as “three pills each time”, it could result in a dangerous or fatal overdose.

Offering translated prescription labels to a Spanish speaking audience could be an extremely beneficial service, but pharmacies much first understand that it requires more than just the push of a button. Otherwise, the potentially harmful outcome is just too high a cost.

English source language tips for two common issues

1. Content
Imperial English measurements such as length, temperature, etc. are often found in documentation for medical device translation. Most linguists need to convert these measurements to Metric to localize the translation. In a multiple language project, you may find slight variances of these conversions.

Suggestion for source document: provide both Imperial and Metric measurements to assure consistency in target documents. Provide instructions whether the Imperial measurements can be removed or else kept in the target within parentheses.


Example source
Temperature: -40° F to +158° F (-25° C to 70° C)
Example translation:
Temperatura: -25 °C a 70 °C
or
Temperatura: -25 °C a 70 °C (-40° F a +158° F)

2. Layout
Adequate White Space in English source documentation can be lacking in certain areas such as tables or graphic callouts. Since text expansion occurs in many languages, translations may end up being hyphenated or have a reduced font size in order to fit within the small area provided.

Suggestion for source document: Widen and lengthen trouble areas such as column rows and text boxes containing graphic callouts.
Example Source
User
not
User

Example Translation
Usuario

These are two issues that are easy to manage by the source material author(s) and will improve the translation process and quality.

Size Matters

Consider the following statements from different areas of our world:

Health: More than one third of U.S. adults —more than 72 million— people and 17% of U.S. children are obese. From 1980 through 2008, obesity rates for adults have doubled and rates for children have tripled.

Science: Nearly 3 million years ago, our ancestors had brains about as big as modern chimps. Since then the brain that would become human grew steadily, tripling in size. But there is little evidence of improvement over much of the period that the brain was growing. Animals with bigger brains are not necessarily more intelligent. To use a computer analogy, bigger brains might in many cases be bigger hard drives, not necessarily better processors.

Economy: We all know the story lines of the current economic recession and its aftermath. Too-big-to-fail should really read too-big-to-succeed. I don’t know about you, but I prefer my local community bank over any financial giant. And big-box stores sure are cheap and convenient to some level, but if quality is your foremost concern, would you really make your purchase there?

Culture: If one were to ask a school, a hospital, a symphony orchestra about their growth plans for the future, they would probably talk about plans to train and retain good teachers, to attract talented surgeons, to extend their repertoire and to bring their work to new audiences. Their vision of growth would not necessarily include increasing the number of students, patients or musicians.

Psychology: Humans are most comfortable in clusters of 10 to 12, family-sized groups. Put them in armies of hundreds and thousands and they cease to be individuals, but only human resources, just numbers in jobs.

Social Media: The most successful of social media like Facebook, thrive on micro-communities, allowing people to grow their network or online community at their own pace and comfort, in accordance with their own standards of quality (of living).

Do you see the common thread? Bigger is not always better. Especially if quality is a key factor.

Why should this be any different for your TSP, your Translation Service Provider?

Small businesses (defined as those with fewer than 500 employees) continue to play a vital role in the economy of the United States. The small business share of GDP has held virtually constant from 1998 through 2004 starting at 50.5 percent in 1998, reaching 49.9 percent in 2000 then rising to 50.7 percent in 2004. Smaller is not only better, it is essential!

So shouldn’t you apply what seems to hold true for your school, your doctor’s office and your body, to your TSP as well: Once they get to the appropriate size, they strive to be better not bigger.

Excel Translations is just such a Translation Service Provider. We act as your partner in your efforts to market your medical devices overseas. We focus on quality and customer satisfaction and apply entrepeneurial values to the partnership.

Advantages of a TSP that has the right size:
• Customer Orientation: Your needs are like no-one else's for whatever reason.
• Partnership: We learn your business and you learn ours.
• Friendly & Flexible: Where everybody knows your name. The Cheers factor.
• Quality: The name of our natural growth hormone