Last updated on August 12th, 2022 at 12:17 pm

Caring for Hispanic Patients with Spanish Translation 

The efforts of hospitals and doctors to provide interpreters on-site or through phone-interpretation are responsible actions to better serve patients with limited English proficiency. The goal of interpretation services is to aid understanding and access to healthcare regardless of language or cultural background due to the diverse U.S. population.

According to the department of labor, the employment of interpreters and translators, in general, is projected to grow 29 percent from 2014 to 2024. Also growing is the Hispanic population in the U.S, increasing the need for Spanish translation services for hospital and clinical settings on a daily basis.

Demand will also be present for frequently used languages, such as French, German, Portuguese, Russian, Arabic, and for the main Asian languages: Chinese, Japanese, Hindi, and Korean.

The 140% increase in the US immigrant population between 1980 and 2010 impacts our communities in many ways. One of them is the simple passage of time; As any population ages, the potential need for health care increases.

For our friends and healthcare professionals, we ask, “How is your website and brick-and-mortar office dealing with this influx?”

Gaining Trust in the Patient’s Native Language

We’ve heard many times that doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals enter their industry to help people, not to get rich. But in order for them to provide that help, their practices and organizations have to grow. Hospitals and private practice offices are faced with the same need to communicate with patients. Since many of these patients are Spanish-speaking immigrants the effort to gain trust can begin with the use of Spanish Translation Services.

Like any other business, websites are often the first point of contact.

Speaking to the Public 

Compared to English-speaking websites, how accurate and appropriate is the Spanish translation on your center’s site? Unless you’re a native speaker of Spanish the most likely answer is “I don’t know!”

Honestly, you shouldn’t be expected to know. Each language has its own cultural elements and nuances. Let professional translators speak for you. That’s one of the reasons professional translation services are employed to update and publish everything from news items to legal documents. In fact, Legal Document translations are as important in healthcare as the translation of medical documents like forms and patient history. 

Press Release Translations

Announcements are commonly made to communities about a new Hospital Wing, increased service hours, or the addition of prominent staff members. All of these share a common thread that says: “We’re open for business and  ready to serve more people in need.” And as these announcements are prepared, professional copywriters and public relations firms are engaged to write effective and useful pieces for publication and distribution. This is the perfect opportunity to include professional translation companies and display your understanding of the growing Spanish community as well as gain new clients. Literally speaking, a client’s language goes a long way to putting them at ease.

Many urban areas in the United States have access to more than one hospital or urgent care center. Add to that the number of Medical Doctors, Dental offices, Chiropractors etc., and the simple truth is that like any other business, healthcare providers have competition. For those looking to grow their practice and maintain a healthy workforce in their business and community, we urge you to look at your website and other patient-centered documents with fresh eyes.

An effective way to connect with a growing segment of patients is through Spanish translation. It only makes sense to speak and assist those patients in the Spanish community in their own language. If you’re not sure where to start, read what other brands are doing while reaching the Latino market in one of our previous posts, including Reaching Latinos, A Major Marketing Evolution.

It’s about HOW you search

Keywords are built into website page content as part of the visible text read as well as the website coding. Website coding is more than “Ones and Zeros”. It is an elaborate combination of words, phrases, legible text, and special characters. But let’s make this applicable for the average viewer:

Looking for a new dentist?

If you’re an English-speaking American, and you’re looking for a new dentist, it is as simple as typing:

            “Dentist” and the Zipcode you want and hit “search”

But if you’re Spanish-speaking, you might prefer to type in:

            “Dentista” or “odontólogo””(both Spanish translation for “Dentist”) and the Zipcode

In truth, very few offices use this thought process. It’s the simple step of thinking like your prospective customers. But it is powerful. Consider how much more likely the dental office using this simple tactic is able to attract the attention of Spanish-speaking people in their area. If you can go a step further and provide services in the Spanish language, that is a huge plus for your patient care reputation!

From technical translation for new equipment to PR publishing and Interpretation services JR Language, is a translation company that urges you to consider THINKING like your clients and patients in order to SPEAK to them in their own language using the art of translation.