effective lep communication: avoiding the top 10 translation traps

Healthcare KnowledgeSet Webinar Series

From viaLanguage

Top Ten LEP Translation Traps 2009

Effective LEP Communication

Avoiding the Top 10 Translation Traps


Agenda

• The Perfect Storm

• Understanding the 10 Traps

• Applying Translation Best Practices

• Questions and Answers

Effective LEP Communications in Healthcare


Our Presenters Maggie Nickles, viaLanguage Client Services

• 10 years in language translation management

• Specialist in immigrant and refugee communication

• Focus on diversity and neighborhood involvement

Nancy Pautsch, viaLanguage Healthcare Acct. Management

• Specialist in healthcare technology and administration

• Focus on healthcare translation and LEP communications

• 12 years in clinical setting

Moderator: Scott Herber, viaLanguage Executive Vice President

• Manages viaLanguage’s Healthcare Segment

• 24 years experience in technology and software management

• Focus on LEP communications in the healthcare market


The Perfect StormAnd you’re in the middle…

• Growing diversity

• Increased sensitivity to dialects and regional nuances

• Pressure on healthcare organizations to provide equal

access

• Cost containment pressure limiting translation budgets

• Rising cost of translation services


Growing Demographic Diversity

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Per

cent

age

White Black Hispanic Asian/PI Am Indian

Percentage Ethnicity of US Population, 1995, 2005, and 2025

199520052025

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division,Population Projections Branch, State Projections .

Source: Center for the Health Professions, 2006.


Leverage Your Translations• Write content that can be used by multiple teams and easily updated in

the future.

• Write with a unified message.

Translation Ready Content• Keeping content simple to limit the cost of future edits/changes.

• Avoid jargon, slang and cultural references that won’t translate well.

• Try not to use multiple fonts in the same document.

• Establish a literacy level for your target audience and keep the source consistent.

#1, The Content Trap


Control Your Content!

Best Practices• Designate one

person in your organization who “owns” the translations and translation processes.

• Maximize your translation budget by bundling small jobs.


Plan Ahead and Save!

5 Small Translations 1 Bundled Translation

Number of Words

100 Words per Document 500 Total Words

Target Language

Spanish Spanish

Turn Around

Time

2 Days Per Document (Up to 10 in Total)

2 Days in Total

Cost $550 or ($110 per Document)

$80-100 Total


#2, The Literacy Gap

• Assumed vs. real literacy levels

• Refugee/immigrant community

• Oral-only languages/Limited standardization of the written language.


Avoiding The Literacy Gap

Do Your Research

• Some refugee/immigrants have a very low literacy rate. Example: Chad only 13% of women are literate

• Recent standardization of the written language. Example: Somali has only used the Latin alphabet since 1972


Avoiding The Literacy Gap

Understand the Literacy Level of your Audience

• Proactively reach out and solicit views from community members

• Poll people

• Talk to immigrate organizations

Non-Government Organizations (NGO’s)

• Leverage local community resources


#3 Review Cycle IgnoranceIf a Community Review is part of your process…

Best Practices

• Finalize the English text before translation begins

• Approve translation before DTP begins(if text approval is needed)

• Build a review cycle into the project schedule


#4, Feline Herding BehaviorAre Reviewers’ Roles Well Defined? Reviewers: Do you have the “right” reviewers?

• Native-speaker of the target language?

• Studied the language?

• Knowledge of the subject matter?

• Potential for conflict of interest?

• Enough time in their schedule or workday to devote to review?

• Is it part of their job description?


#5 Translation HubrisHow tough can this be?

• “Let’s just do this in-house”.

• “I know someone who speaks this language.”

• “Does it really require another proofreader?”


#6, Tunnel VisionPlanning, planning, planning

What does it look like?

• Translations are ad hoc, and not well planned

• Time and resources are not included in the project plan in the beginning.

• “Hair on fire” “need it tomorrow” mindset incurs rush charges and limits accuracy.


#7, Empty Toolbox ThinkingSet yourself up for success

Create and leverage your AssetTrio

• Style Guide

• Glossary

• Translation Memory


#8, Technical Overconfidence“Just send them the file”

Poor file construction• Non-auto generated Table Of

Contents and Indexes• Cross-referencing pages instead of

sections

•Your $15 copayment for generic drugs purchased through the Mail Service Prescription Drug Program is now waived for the first 3 generic prescriptions filled (and/or refills ordered) per calendar year. (See page 102.)•Your copayment for emergency room care related to an accidental injury or medical emergency is now $100 per visit. Previously, your copayment was $75 per visit. [See Section 7(c).]


#9, Re-use MyopiaYou are not alone…

• Not looking beyond the immediate need

• Not sharing translation memory

• Forcing other groups in the organization to recreate the wheel

• As the cultural learning improves, it’s not shared

• Translation Memory can really help……


#10, Price-Is-Right Syndrome

Shopping for the right translation team

Here are some things that we look for:

•Responsiveness

•Credentials

•Work history

•References


Summary

• Get your arms around your content

• Planning ahead pays off

• Use a methodology that works

• Leverage technology

• Re-use cuts costs

• Find a translation team that fits

Healthcare KnowledgeSet Webinar Series

From viaLanguage


Questions from our Online Audience

viaLanguage., Inc.Phone: 800-737-8481www.vialanguage.comwww.vialangauge.com/Blog


Join Us for the Next Webinar!

Save Time & Money with Translation MemoryWHEN: Thursday, May 7th, 9:00 AM 9:45 AM Pacific timeYou’ll Learn:

• Translation memory: What is it? • How it works and what makes a match • When it doesn’t work and why • Ways to boost your match rate • Portability of your translation memory and who owns it • Real examples of customers and how they use translation

memory • Benefits of centralization

Register at www.vialanguage.com!


Additional Resources

www.ahca.org - American Health Care Assn. www.aha.org - American Hospital Assn. www.omhrc.gov - Office of Minority Health www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa - HIPAA www.ahip.org - America's Health Ins. Plans www.diversityrx.org - Diversity Rx: www.ncihc.org - Interpreting in Health Care www.cpehn.org - CPEHN: www.ache.org - American College of Healthcare Execs. www.ncqa.org - NCQA www.pubmed.gov - PubMed www.healthwise.org/p_online_cont.aspx - Healthwise Knowledge

Base www.viaLanguage.com/Blog

effective lep communication: avoiding the top 10 translation traps

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