The Importance of English-to-Spanish Medical Translation

Last Updated June 1, 2021

English-to-Spanish medical translation will be more important than ever in the United States over the next 30 years.

The rapid growth of America’s Hispanic population has presented many challenges for the healthcare sector.

Increasing diversity has led to increased pressure on healthcare systems to ensure limited-English speakers are treated equally.

There are clear mandates that emphasize language rights when it comes to healthcare. These are are applied at both the federal and state level.

English-to-Spanish medical translation can help ease pressure from any language barrier that is present.

The Right to English-to-Spanish Medical Translation

In Massachusetts, for example, the State legislature made it clear the goal of language access is to provide the broadest possible protection for the rights of non-English speaking persons to understand and be understood.

The law prioritizes the need to ensure that non-English speaking individuals are afforded the right to equal and meaningful access to justice. This also applies to healthcare.

The internet has become a valuable tool for healthcare organizations to disseminate information. Internet users have in turn turned to web resources for research, communication and the latest public health updates.

The importance of eHealth in improving communication among providers and patients therefore can’t be over-emphasized. Hospital websites, however, can be made more relevant and useful to compliment eHealth.

Translation of healthcare documents is necessary in order help all people to correctly understand the message that is being conveyed. That, in turn, will help them make informed medical choices.

Translation for Hospital Websites

Hospital websites should factor in the ethnic and cultural diversity of the community. Important information needs to be accessible for everyone in the community.

In 2019, Hispanics made up roughly 18.5% of the population in the U.S., which translates to approximately 61 million people. That population is only expected to rise, and one in three residents in the U.S. will be Hispanic by the year 2050.

These statistics shows that Hispanics are an important demographic that must be taken into account by healthcare agencies and organizations.

Governmental initiatives like the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health Care have taken into account the role of linguistic and cultural communication barriers in regards to patient-provider transactions.

Websites should therefore be properly translated to meet the needs of the Hispanic population. We need to consider cultural and linguistic barriers that negatively affect healthcare access.

How We Can Help

An increasing number of healthcare providers have embraced the need for medical translation, which covers English-to-Spanish medical translation, translation of healthcare documents, and medical term translation.

If your organization has a stake in the healthcare field, you should consider making use of effective medical translation services.

Contact us today to find out how we can help.

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