Medical Devices and Translation. Saving Lives from Costa Rica

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Medical Devices and Translation. Saving Lives from Costa Rica. Costa Rica has been identified as a leading country in attracting foreign investment, being the headquarters of multiple multinational companies. Part of the fundamental reasons for this achievement have to do with its stability, legal security, trained and bilingual workforce, as well as the tax incentives it offers. All this has turned our country into a manufacturing and service center for the entire continent, consolidating itself more and more, especially in the life sciences manufacturing sector, especially for medical device multinationals, which has allowed the development and specialization of companies in this industry.

Currently, it is the second country in Latin America in export of medical devices, controlling 24% of the regional market, only surpassed by Mexico. Worldwide, it is in the fourteenth position, contributing 2% of exports of this type, according to data from the Costa Rican Foreign Trade Promoter (PROCOMER). These numbers take on more relevance when detailing that medical and precision equipment grew by 18% during 2021, placing this industry as one of the main exporters in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica has more than 30 years of experience supplying the global medical device industry worldwide. Currently, it is home to 6 of the top 10 medical device companies. This sector has also been an important generator of employability, since in recent years it has generated more than 38,000 jobs and the figure could increase in coming years. And it is that according to data from the Costa Rican Coalition of Development Initiatives (CINDE) this industry has maintained constant growth since 2018.

Like almost every business sector, these companies face the challenge of constantly reinventing themselves, thanks to the accelerated global transformation of the industry. In addition, they must ensure that they meet quality standards and comply with risk mitigation. It is important to remember that these quality and risk prevention systems must necessarily consider effective and efficient communication as an aspect of special attention. Particularly in this industry, where the interaction with people, companies or institutions with different languages ​​is increasing. This is where professional translation and interpreting services come to the fore, and become more relevant in the medical device industry.

The translation service related to medical devices is a task that must be carried out with high professionalism, because here a slight error could seriously affect people’s lives and health. Currently there is a very specific pharmaceutical or medical terminology, therefore there is a wide variety of documents that are susceptible to being mistranslated. For all of them, specialized professional translators should be trusted, since the health of the patients, the acceptance of the documents by the authorities of the different countries or simply the final quality of said documents..

The translation of the content related to medical devices and instructions must be carried out by specialized translators who have experience in the relevant medical fields. Therefore, working with a translator who does not know the medical terminology and regulatory requirements in place in a given country or region will simply not be enough to translate medical device instructions and other content related to medical equipment. If preparing all the documentation generated by the sector in the local language already has its difficulties, translating it into other languages ​​is a complex process that cannot be subordinated to a word-for-word translation. You have to pay attention to the meaning of the source text and look for equivalences in all the complex terminology used in the sector.

Given the highly competitive environment, the nature of medical devices with a direct impact on the lives of patients, and the resulting high regulation, the issue of multicultural and multilingual communication becomes a critical factor for success and business continuity. In fact, the translation and localization of all documentation, operating procedures in manufacturing, instructions for use, videos, training material, etc., is a mandatory and strategic activity that is part of the quality and risk mitigation policies of companies in this medical device sector.

At LingoCall we provide official translation services for medical device standard operating procedures. We have professional and experienced translators and interpreters. Our clients in the Coyol Free Zone and the La Lima Free Zone are our best letter of introduction. Contact us right now and we will gladly make a budget according to the needs of your company.

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Translation of Standard Operating Procedures.

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Translation of Standard Operating Procedures. Without a doubt, precision is crucial for success in the medical and pharmaceutical industry. Poorly manufactured medical products can seriously damage a company’s reputation, which is why it is essential to apply Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in companies to ensure quality control. These procedures are step-by-step instructions to document work routines or specific activities of a process and ensure their quality.

 Some companies decide to subcontract the manufacture of products to companies in foreign countries, which is why the translation of the processes must be carried out in the best way. The company to which the production is being subcontracted must have all the information so that the final product is always exactly the same. This is why the translated information must remain precise and the processes must be clear so that the standards can be met. Hiring professional translators who have experience in these matters brings benefits to the company, including:

  • The company ensures that the translation of the standard operating procedures is correct: With the work of a translator, errors in the original document that may not have been identified before can be corrected. For example, there may be very open sentences that lend themselves to multiple interpretations. It is also possible that in the original translation there are omissions of certain steps, which may be obvious for some but for others these small omissions can lead to errors. All the problems must be pointed out by the translator and corrected in order to carry out the translation of the documents in the most precise way. The translator must also identify and find the best way to translate any colloquial phrases or jargon implemented in the original text.
  • A correct explanation of the processes is given: The fundamental rule for carrying out this type of translation is that when the processes are being translated, they must be described in the way they will appear to the operator. For example, when a knob or button is labeled in the original language, it must appear this way in the document being translated, respecting the language and even the capitalization used. Any language the operator sees on the screen, regardless of their spoken language, must be identical to what is described in the converted SOP.
  • Proper management of terminology is given: The extensive terminology used in the pharmaceutical industry is one of the main reasons why having professional translators is essential. The translator must have experience and knowledge of the terms and standards in order to carry out a good translation. First of all, the translator must take into account that although many of the terms must be translated, there are also some that are used internationally, therefore they must be left in the original language. Also, as shown above, the translator must have knowledge of the regulations, know the applicable pharmaceutical standards in their country and be sure that they are met. It is also important that the translator pays attention to trademark names that may or may not be internationally recognized. Lastly, the translator must also have knowledge of the abbreviations used in the industry and know if there are equivalent abbreviations in the language into which the translation is being made.

Training your staff in their own language is part of your Quality Assurance and Risk Mitigation System

All this confirms the importance of having professional translators with the necessary experience and knowledge when translating these important documents. Especially when it comes to industries such as pharmaceuticals, in which many regulations and standards must be taken into account, it is essential that a good translation be carried out, companies of this type cannot risk receiving lawsuits or damaging their reputation due to problems. of translation.

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