Translating a Consent Form into Ten languages

A consent form for a critical medical trial required urgent translation. The document, over 2,000 words in English, needed to be accurately translated into multiple languages to ensure that patients from diverse linguistic backgrounds could understand and give informed consent. This task was not only about linguistic precision but also about ethical responsibility, as the content involved critical healthcare information.

Our goal was to provide clear, accurate translations of the consent form into the following:

• Arabic
• Simplified Chinese
• Traditional Chinese
• Dari
• Filipino
• Greek 
• Hindi
• Punjabi
• Turkish
• Vietnamese

The challenge was to maintain the document’s medical accuracy and sensitivity across all languages, ensuring that patients and their families could make informed decisions about participating in the trial.

To meet this challenge, our team of specialised medical translators took on the task. Each translator was carefully chosen based on their expertise in medical terminology and their understanding of cultural nuances. We prioritised maintaining the document’s original meaning and intent, ensuring that all translations were ethically sound and linguistically accurate. To guarantee precision, we conducted multiple rounds of reviews with a focus on medical accuracy and cultural appropriateness. Our project managers coordinated closely with the translators to ensure a seamless workflow and timely delivery.

The Result

Our meticulous approach to translation and quality control resulted in the timely delivery of all translations. The translated consent forms were not only linguistically accurate but also culturally sensitive, allowing patients and their families to fully understand the information provided. The client was extremely satisfied with the efficiency and quality of our work, particularly appreciating our attention to detail in handling such a sensitive document.