Medical Record Translation and Quality Checklist

Medical records should not automatically be either translated in full or left entirely untranslated. Ask the target hospital or department what language it accepts during an initial review, which documents require complete translation and which can be summarised. This controls time and cost while keeping important information visible.

Each translated file should retain the patient reference, source file name, examination date, institution and page numbers. Diagnoses, medicine names, doses, units, body parts, left or right side, and negative or positive findings need particular attention. If text is unreadable, mark it as unclear rather than guessing from context.

Keep source and translation together with matching identifiers, and record the translator, date and version. If a hospital issues a corrected report, create a new version instead of quietly replacing the old one. Machine translation can support initial understanding, but important clinical records should receive appropriate human review.

Written translation and interpreting are different roles. An interpreter helps the patient and clinician exchange information; the interpreter does not explain risk in place of the doctor, give consent in place of the patient, or remove details they are unsure about. For important decisions, ask the hospital for written information and enough time for questions.

Before sending, check that the source is complete, numbers and units match, terminology is consistent and the translation belongs to the correct version. Kangqiao can coordinate the translation process, but a translation is not a new medical opinion. Any ambiguity should be checked against the source and, where needed, confirmed by the medical institution.