Healthcare information only helps a patient if they can read it.
A coverage letter, a set of discharge instructions, a medication guide: each one is written to help someone make a decision about their health. If the person holding it can’t understand it, the document hasn’t done its job, no matter how accurate the English original is.
The project: six languages for a US healthcare plan
We were reminded of this on a recent project for a US-based healthcare plan. Plangamy Translations translated the plan’s patient-facing medical documents into six languages:
- French
- Arabic
- Chinese (Traditional)
- Burmese
- Haitian Creole
- Pashto
These six languages use four different writing systems, and two of them read right to left. That meant each language needed its own approach, not just a different translator.
Six languages, six different challenges
Burmese: a complex script that needed line-by-line checks
Burmese characters combine and stack above and below the line. If a font or spacing setting is off, text can break, clip or display incorrectly, and the reader may never know something is missing. We checked the layout line by line so every word appeared exactly as intended.
Arabic and Pashto: rebuilt for right-to-left reading
Arabic and Pashto read from right to left. Simply flipping a page is not enough. Forms and tables were rebuilt so that columns, checkboxes, numbering and fill-in fields follow the order a native reader naturally expects.
Haitian Creole: plain, everyday phrasing
For Haitian Creole, accuracy meant clarity. We used plain, everyday phrasing so that clinical terms are truly understood, not just technically translated.
Chinese (Traditional): the right medical terms for the community
Medical terminology in Chinese can vary between communities. We chose terms carefully so they would be familiar to the readers the documents were written for.
French: consistency across every document
With French, the priority was consistent terminology. A term that appears in one document reads the same way in every other, so patients are never left wondering whether two different words mean two different things.
One principle: understood the first time
One principle tied all six languages together. A medical translation is only correct if the patient understands it the first time.
In most fields, a small error is an inconvenience. In healthcare, a mistranslated dosage or a missed deadline isn’t a typo. It can affect someone’s health and their access to care.
How we handle healthcare translation
That’s why every healthcare project at Plangamy Translations follows the same process:
- Native-speaking linguists with subject-matter experience. Each language is handled by a native speaker who knows medical and healthcare terminology.
- Approved medical glossaries. Key terms are agreed in advance and used consistently across every file.
- Second-linguist review of every file. A second qualified linguist reviews each translation before delivery.
- Formatting checks against the original. Every translated document is compared with the source so that tables, forms and instructions match.
- Strict confidentiality for health information. Patient and plan information is handled under strict confidentiality from start to finish.
The people behind every document
Behind every translated page is a real person. A family trying to understand their coverage. A parent reading care instructions for a child. An elderly patient preparing for an appointment in a language that isn’t their first.
For them, a clear translation is the difference between guessing and knowing what to do next.
Language access is part of care
Language access isn’t a nice-to-have in healthcare. It’s part of the care itself.
Does your organization serve multilingual communities?
Whether you work in healthcare, government, education or legal services, Plangamy Translations can help. We support 100+ language pairs and deliver with accuracy, speed and care.
Email us at translations@plangamy.com and let’s talk about your next project.