Poll: Do clinical trials offer high potential as an area of expertise for medical translators?
Autor vlákna: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
PRACOVNÍK SERVERU
Jan 22, 2025

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do clinical trials offer high potential as an area of expertise for medical translators?".

This poll was originally submitted by Ekaterina Chashnikova. View the poll results »



 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugalsko
Local time: 09:28
Člen (2007)
angličtina -> portugalština
+ ...
Yes, definitely Jan 22, 2025

At least in the EU, because the Clinical Trial Regulation (CTR) (Regulation (EU) No 536/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 on clinical trials on medicinal products for human use) (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:32014R0536) states that all documents related to a clinical trial must be translated into the langu... See more
At least in the EU, because the Clinical Trial Regulation (CTR) (Regulation (EU) No 536/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 on clinical trials on medicinal products for human use) (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:32014R0536) states that all documents related to a clinical trial must be translated into the languages of the trial participants. Moreover, the CTR requires that all documents submitted to regulatory authorities in the EU must be translated into the official language(s) of the member state where the trial is being held.Collapse


Sebastian Witte
neilmac
 
Philip Lees
Philip Lees  Identity Verified
Řecko
Local time: 11:28
řečtina -> angličtina
Target language Jan 23, 2025

Less so if your target language is English, because a lot of the documents involved in clinical trials tend to be written in English originally, and then translated into other languages as necessary.

Sebastian Witte
neilmac
expressisverbis
Rachel Waddington
 
Lingua 5B
Lingua 5B  Identity Verified
Bosna a Hercegovina
Local time: 10:28
angličtina -> francouzština
+ ...
High potential for what? Jan 23, 2025

What kind of high potential? In my pair, it’s the worst medical field to translate, filled with cheap agencies looking for cheap translators. And the rates are going lower by the day, in fact they got so low, I completely ignore clinical trial offers now.

Volkan Dede
Edith van der Have
Sabine Braun
 
Luca Adie
Luca Adie
Německo
Local time: 10:28
němčina -> angličtina
+ ...
I have to disagree Jan 23, 2025

Philip Lees wrote:

Less so if your target language is English, because a lot of the documents involved in clinical trials tend to be written in English originally, and then translated into other languages as necessary.


I have to disagree as most of my work involves back translations from French and Spanish into English, which are then followed by a reconciliation stage. I assumed most pharma companies did this.


Ines Radionovas-Lagoutte, PhD
Johan Beyens (X)
 
jyuan_us
jyuan_us
Spojené státy americké
Local time: 04:28
Člen (2005)
angličtina -> čínština
+ ...
I'd vote "No" Jan 23, 2025

The content is highly repetitive because most materials are developed using standard templates.

Sabine Braun
 
Andrus Lauringson
Andrus Lauringson  Identity Verified
Estonsko
Local time: 11:28
Člen (2022)
angličtina -> estonština
+ ...
As always, details Jan 23, 2025

I like translating clinical trial materials because:

1) It's where the translation is most likely useful and used. I respect when sponsors of a clinical trial that usually costs a lot and sometimes lasts a decade, say the trial is cancelled because the study drug did not turn out to effective. (Unlike crystal healing, of course).
2) The tasks mostly use Trados and MemoQ, easy and efficient to work with, TMs, TBs, etc. Unlike updating a PIL word template that feels like a time
... See more
I like translating clinical trial materials because:

1) It's where the translation is most likely useful and used. I respect when sponsors of a clinical trial that usually costs a lot and sometimes lasts a decade, say the trial is cancelled because the study drug did not turn out to effective. (Unlike crystal healing, of course).
2) The tasks mostly use Trados and MemoQ, easy and efficient to work with, TMs, TBs, etc. Unlike updating a PIL word template that feels like a time machine trip back to times where CAT tools did not exist.
3) The patient-facing trial materials are actually read, which is a boost for a translator. For example, European Medicines Agency has admitted that not enough people read pharmaceutical product information leaflets, but the institution is running projects to improvement that, though.
Collapse


 
Philip Lees
Philip Lees  Identity Verified
Řecko
Local time: 11:28
řečtina -> angličtina
Back Jan 24, 2025

ADIE Translations wrote:

Philip Lees wrote:

Less so if your target language is English, because a lot of the documents involved in clinical trials tend to be written in English originally, and then translated into other languages as necessary.


I have to disagree as most of my work involves back translations from French and Spanish into English, which are then followed by a reconciliation stage. I assumed most pharma companies did this.

That's a good point.

I've done a fair amount of back translating, but I don't think any of it was related to clinical trials. I don't know why.

Some questionnaires, maybe, but not any of the trial-specific documentation.


 
Lingua 5B
Lingua 5B  Identity Verified
Bosna a Hercegovina
Local time: 10:28
angličtina -> francouzština
+ ...
Trials Jan 24, 2025

There are many questionnaires as a part of trial documentation, like patient diaries etc.

 


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Poll: Do clinical trials offer high potential as an area of expertise for medical translators?






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