23 Jun How we helped Roche localise its medical app

Translating an app is not a piece of cake. It is a mixture of many things and requires a thorough understanding of the terminology, the healthcare context and, above all, the target patients’ culture. This was the challenge that Roche, one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies, faced when it decided to launch its new app for diabetes patients in several international markets. The good news is that there was a solution. Okomeds stepped in to localise its medical app with the utmost precision and sensitivity.

Roche Pharmaceuticals: a world leader in medical and digital innovation.

Roche, founded in 1896 in Switzerland, is one of the world’s largest and most prestigious pharmaceutical companies, specialising in the development of medicines and diagnostics that improve the lives of millions of patients globally. Their commitment to digital innovation led them to create a medical app for patients with diabetes, designed to be a real and practical support in managing the disease.

Roche logo

The challenge: launching a multilingual medical app

Roche had developed a digital tool aimed at improving the lives of people with diabetes. The app included key functionalities such as recording glucose levels, reminders about medication and personalised disease management advice. Its clear goal was to provide an intuitive, useful and fully understandable experience for patients, regardless of their language.

The problem is that translating the content was not enough. Each message had to be adapted with extreme medical rigour and, at the same time, with sensitivity to different cultural and linguistic contexts. Because when it comes to health, words not only inform, they also create (or destroy) trust.

The Okomeds solution: localising its medical app

Okomeds approached the project with a methodology centred on three pillars: precise medical terminology, cultural sensitivity and professional validation.

1. Team specialised in medical translation and eHealth. We selected a team of medical translators with expertise in endocrinology and digital health, native to each target market. This ensured the correct use of clinical language and technical vocabulary which, in many cases, varied from country to country.
2. Localisation adapted to each audience. Beyond translating, we analysed the app’s messages, interfaces and structures to ensure that they were understood naturally in each country. For example, we adapted units of measurement, avoided unnecessary technicalities and took care of the tone to maintain closeness with the patient without compromising the seriousness of the content.
3. Review process in 2 phases. A second specialist reviewed each translation and our quality team carried out a final check. In addition, we coordinated with Roche teams to integrate their glossaries and internal criteria into the localisation process.

The result: an app ready to improve users’ lives (in several languages).

Thanks to localising their medical app, Roche was able to launch its application simultaneously in several countries. Not only that, but they were left with the peace of mind of knowing that each text was perfectly localised, reviewed and quality checked. But more importantly, they knew they were speaking the same language as their patients, building trust.

The medical translations we delivered for this project did more than just work. They played a crucial role in building trust and encouraging thousands of people with diabetes to adopt the app.

Do you want to bring your medical product to the international market?

At Okomeds, we know that health texts cannot be translated half-heartedly. That’s why we work closely with our medical and pharmaceutical clients to deliver medical and pharmaceutical translations that meet the highest professional, ethical and regulatory standards.

Whether it’s an app, a brochure, a leaflet or a scientific publication, our goal is the same: to help you communicate accurately and in a human way in any language.

Are you preparing the international launch of your medical product? Let’s talk. At Okomeds, we translate health with rigour.