28 Feb Translation of health questionnaires: Why do patient need them

As you know, the translation of medical documents is an extremely important activity, as it facilitates understanding not only between professionals, but also between professionals and patients. There are countless documents and among them are patient health questionnaires, a type of document which plays a fundamental role. Such is its importance that the translation of health questionnaires is also relevant, as not all patients speak the same language.

The context: What are health questionnaires?

Medical questionnaires are tools used in healthcare to collect relevant information. For example, about the health status, medical history, lifestyle, symptoms, family history and other health-related aspects.

The information collected through medical questionnaires is invaluable for health professionals. These questionnaires can be used for a variety of purposes:

• To understand the status and assess the general health of a patient
• To diagnose specific medical conditions
• To establish treatment
• To conduct follow-ups
• To collect large-scale data on the health of a population for medical research.

Examples include questionnaires assessing alcohol dependence disorders, gambling addiction, anxiety symptoms, eating behaviours and depressive symptoms.

What is involved in translating them?

A failure to translate them can have many negative consequences that affect both patients and health professionals as this causes the problem of not being able to provide accurate information. So, translation:

– Enhances patients’ active participation in healthcare. If a patient understands the questions, they are more likely to actively participate in decisions about their medical treatment and provide the information needed to make the right decisions.

– Improves the efficiency of medical care. If patients understand the questions and give accurate answers, healthcare professionals obtain the information they need to provide the best possible care, arrive at an accurate diagnosis and establish appropriate treatment.

– Increases patient confidence. This strengthens the relationship between patients and healthcare professionals and improves patient satisfaction.

– Enables patients to better understand instructions on how to care for and manage their health condition.

– Ensures that patients are not excluded from research or study because of the language barrier.

How to ensure the quality of the translation of the questionnaires?

In the medical field, the slightest mistake can have serious consequences. That is why you should ensure the quality of the translation of your health questionnaires by hiring a medical translation agency that works with qualified translators who are experienced in the medical field, native speakers of the target language and have specific training in the translation of medical documents. This way you will get an accurate and precise translation to avoid misunderstandings or confusion.

In addition, you will need to check your patients’ understanding by carrying out a pre-test. This involves testing the translation of the health questionnaire on a small group of target patients to assess the comprehension and clarity of the questions. Therefore, healthcare professionals and translation agencies must work together to ensure that the translation is accurate, clear and culturally and linguistically sensitive.

Ensuring the quality of a medical translation is crucial to achieving positive results and improving the patient experience. Shall we talk?