Medical translation services

LinguaVox provides professional medical translation services for pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers, contract research organisations (CROs), hospitals, universities and private healthcare clients. Medical content calls for careful terminology control, professional confidentiality and a controlled delivery workflow. Working in translation since 2000, we manage medical projects in more than 150 languages, with workflows adapted to the document type, the intended reader and the regulatory or clinical context.

Medical translation is a specialised field in which errors can carry patient-safety, regulatory or operational consequences. Each request is assessed according to the source language, target language, country of use, medical discipline, file format and deadline. A clinical trial protocol, the instructions for use (IFU) of a surgical laser and a patient discharge summary call for different approaches, but all require translators with relevant subject-matter experience.

Translation for clinical trials and research

Clinical trials generate a large volume of documentation that has to be translated accurately for ethics committees, regulatory bodies and trial participants. We translate clinical study protocols, investigator brochures, case report forms (CRFs), informed consent forms (ICFs) and patient questionnaires.

This work depends on a careful balance of register. Documents for regulators and medical professionals need precise clinical terminology, while participant-facing materials such as consent forms and patient diaries should read in clear, accessible language that a layperson can follow, without altering the underlying medical meaning. Our project managers confirm the intended reader for each file before it is assigned, so the translator writes for the right audience from the outset.

Medical devices and CE marking documentation

Device manufacturers face demanding regulatory requirements when they place products on international markets, whether under the European Medical Device Regulation (MDR), FDA rules or the requirements of other national or regional authorities. We translate documentation used to support CE marking and international distribution, so that safety information is rendered accurately and consistently in each target language. Responsibility for regulatory conformity and final submission remains with the manufacturer or responsible regulatory team.

Typical files include instructions for use (IFUs), surgical manuals, the software interfaces of diagnostic equipment, risk-management reports and marketing material for medical technology. Consistency matters throughout a device's documentation: a component or warning message should read the same way in the software interface, the user manual and the quick-start guide. We hold that wording in a controlled glossary and apply it across the whole set.

Hospital documentation and patient records

Hospitals, clinics and health insurers frequently need patient records, discharge summaries, laboratory results and surgical reports translated. These documents are commonly required for patients treated abroad, for insurance claims or for continuity of care when a patient relocates.

Hospital documentation brings particular challenges: medical abbreviations, local clinical shorthand and, at times, handwritten notes. We assign these projects to linguists familiar with clinical practice in both the source and target countries, so that the healthcare professionals receiving the translated records can follow the patient's medical history without ambiguity. Where text is genuinely illegible, the translator marks it clearly rather than guessing.

Terminology management and medical glossaries

In medical translation, correct terminology is part of risk control. A single anatomical term or chemical compound should be rendered consistently throughout a project. We work with recognised international classifications such as MedDRA and SNOMED CT, alongside any client-specific glossaries.

On larger volumes we use translation memories and terminology databases. These support the human translator by surfacing approved terms and reusing previously approved wording where appropriate, which keeps documentation consistent over time. Where a client has no existing glossary, we can extract key terms from the source files and submit a proposed terminology list for approval before the main translation phase begins.

Quality control and ISO-certified workflows

Medical documentation often warrants more than one layer of quality control. Under an ISO 17100 workflow, the initial translation is followed by a bilingual revision in which a second, independent medical linguist compares the target text against the source to check accuracy, review terminology and confirm that nothing has been omitted.

After revision, our project managers carry out final formatting and delivery checks. This checks that the translated files follow the agreed layout requirements, which is particularly important for structured medical forms, tables of laboratory data and formatted regulatory submissions.

Requesting a reliable medical translation quote

To prepare an accurate quote, we review the original files and confirm the language pairs, the country of use and the deadline. If the project involves regulatory submission formats, desktop publishing (DTP) for device manuals or strict terminology management, it helps to flag this at the outset so the workflow can be scoped appropriately.

Our quotations reflect the workflow each document genuinely requires. Word count is a primary factor, but the complexity of the medical discipline, the file format and the review stages involved also shape the final scope.

Frequently asked questions