Preparing for Immigration: Translation of Essential Medical Records

Receiving quality medical care is one of the most important things a person needs.  Getting proper medical care requires the doctors and nurses serving the patient to have a complete and accurate medical history, which can be difficult when the individual doesn’t speak English or is recently from a non-English speaking country.  One investment immigrants should make as they prepare to live in the United States is obtaining a professional translation of essential medical records and documents.

Which Medical Records Should Be Translated

The types and quantity of medical records that should be translated will differ depending on the person’s health condition.  If the person knows that they suffer from a chronic illness or physical limitation, for example, they should work with their home country physician to identify records pertaining to it.  New medical staff in the United States will appreciate having a complete understanding of the patient’s condition to continue a sound regimen of care or to treat related conditions.  Some documents that should be included in a translation of essential medical records include:

• Birth certificate
• Death certificates of parents and siblings
• Immunization records
• Medical diagnosis
• Workplace injury reports
• Prescription records
• Surgery and hospitalization records
• Medical test results

Why is it important to prepare these documents as soon as possible?

One mistake many people make is not obtaining a translation of medical records until they need them.  A patient admitted to the emergency room unable to speak English may be confused, afraid, and unable to communicate with the medical team assisting them.  It can be challenging or impossible to obtain medical records from other countries quickly, and last-minute translations may be inaccurate or incomplete.  By having a packet of translated medical records ahead of time, new immigrants can rest assured that medical staff will have all the information they need if a medical emergency arises.

Who should you hire for a translation of essential medical records?

If you or someone you know needs a translation of medical records and documents, it’s critical to choose a professional, qualified translation service to do the work for you.  Individuals with experience in the medical field and fluency in both the source and target languages must ensure the translation is accurate.  These professionals understand medical terms and phrases that may be localized terms used by doctors and nurses in another country.  Using online translation tools or unqualified translators may result in significant errors, which could be detrimental to getting the best medical advice and care.

When you have important documents that require translation, contact The Perfect Translation.

Don’t rely on computer programs to translate your most essential documents.  At The Perfect Translation, we use teams of professional translators with expertise in the subject matter they are translating for.  You’ll rest assured that The Perfect Translation will translate your documents accurately and completely.  We provide certified and notarized document translation services for all document types associated with immigration, business, real estate, financial, academic, legal, and medical industries.  Contact us today for a free quote!