Medical Translation Insight

Americans tend to spend more, save less, and be overweight. A generalization? Sure. But luckily (or not?), poor, fat Americans aren't alone; the Greeks, for one, have similar traits.

On the other hand, folks like the Germans are thriftier and in better shape - and they save more for retirement. Meanwhile, the Chinese blow most nationalities away when it comes to saving money.

What explains these differences? It's long been thought a mix of history, culture, and psychology are at the root. Or... could it be language's fault?

That's the thesis of The Effect of Language on Economic Behavior: Evidence from Savings Rates, Health Behaviors, and Retirement Assets [PDF link]. The recently published paper argues that some groups don't mind having an empty retirement account or smoking a pack a day because their language makes the future seem far enough off to ignore.

Here is what the Big Think blog thinks about the paper:

Being clear about the timing of your topic turns out to be one of the areas where grammars differ. Some tongues, including English, are strong future-time-reference, or FTR, languages: If Chen, a professor at Yale's School of Management, wants to say he can't meet you tomorrow because he has a seminar, he has to say "I am going to listen to a seminar." On the other hand, others are weak FTR languages. In Mandarin, Chen would say Wˇo qù t ̄ıng jiˇangzuo ("I go listen seminar," where "go" just means that he's heading over, nothing to do with when).

And the study results results are nothing short of astounding. According to Big Think:

In Europe, speakers of weak-FTR languages (German, Finnish and Estonian are examples) were 30 percent more likely to have saved money in a given year than were equivalent speakers of a strong-FTR language (English, Spanish or Greek, for instance). (To put that in perspective, according to Chen's analysis, speaking a strong-FTR language is as a big a risk-factor for not-saving as unemployment.) Weak-FTR language-speakers have piled up an average of 170,000 more euros per person for their retirement than strong-FTR speakers, and are 24 percent less likely to have smoked heavily, 29 percent more likely to exercise regularly, and 13 percent less likely to be obese. The weak-FTR speakers even had stronger grips and great lung capacity than did those whose grammar forced them to mark the difference between today and tomorrow. National records reflect individual habits too, Chen writes: "Countries with weak-FTR languages save on average six percent more of their GDP per year than their strong-FTR counterparts."

Sure, linguists like Noam Chomsky and Steven Pinker dismiss the idea that how we speak determines how we think but the next time you stare at your non-existent savings account balance, remember what language you speak!

Got a few more minutes to spare? Good - I think you'll enjoy these past articles:

• Never mind the whales, save languages!
• Eye charts from around the globe
• Catch two pigeons with one bean

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We are thrilled to announce that this week, ForeignExchange formed a strategic alliance with Vasont Systems, a content management system (CMS) vendor.

For those of our readers who are unfamiliar with content management systems, CMS help companies structure, organize, and store content to facilitate consistency, reuse, publishing in multiple formats, and a smoother translation process.

More and more of our medical device and pharmaceutical clients are either in the midst of CMS implementations or beginning to explore the idea, and this partnership will benefit our clients as we will be in a better position to offer an end-to-end multilingual content strategy – from source content development through medical translation and publishing.

For now the partnership with Vasont will focus on process, workflows, and best practices for content development and translation in the context of a CMS environment. Based on future client needs, we hope to expand the focus to technology solutions, including a possible integration with MemoQ.

You can find the press release here. And for more CMS-related topics, take a look at the following:

• Case study: DITA implementation for medical translation
• How to prepare a CMS for website translation
• Taking the hocus pocus out of content management systems

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For most of us, it's simply a mouthful: pharmacovigilance.

But for drug manufacturers, it is critically important to collect, monitor, research, assessing, and evaluate information from healthcare providers and patients on the adverse effects of medications. So, pharmaceutical and biotech companies are paying close attention to EMA's looming new pharmacovigilance legislation.

Major changes to the legislation covering pharmacovigilance in the European Union (EU) were announced on December 31, 2010. This is the biggest change to the regulation of human medicines since 1995 and will have significant implications for drug safety. The new laws will apply from July 2012 and have three broad objectives:

1. to strengthen post-authorisation regulation of medicines,
2. to improve efficiency, and
3. to increase transparency.

EMA is making sure to communicate progress regularly. Just last week, we saw a news release entitled "Better protection of public health: European Medicines Agency counts down to introduction of new pharmacovigilance legislation". It was accompanied by a detailedplan for implementation [PDF link].

Agencies and biopharmaceutical companies, start your engines; July 2, 2012 is just around the corner!

[Tip of the hat to Kathie Clark!]

To find out more about this topic, take a look at the following:

• Complying with EMA's new requirement for medicinal product information
• Electronic submission of information on medicines
• Meeting the linguistic requirements for EMA submissions
• Periodic Safety Update Reports: Be Compliant and Cost Effective

ForeignExchange Translations provides specialized medical translations for electronic as well as paper-based regulatory submissions. Contact us to find out more.
 

Russia is expected to release new medical device regulations within the next few weeks, according to the Massdevice website. The article states that the new regulations will be clearer and have more specific requirements than current ones (e.g., by providing reporting timelines and requirements for post-approval reporting). The updated regulations are also expected to cover the clinical trial process, with components such as requirements for ethics committee reviews and patient agreements.

The new regulatory requirements may be part of Russia's plan to become a major player on the medical device market. In an interview last year (see Russia Seeks Parity with Leading Medtech Economies by 2020), Sergey Tsyb, who heads the Department of Chemical Industries and Bioengineering Technologies within Russia's Ministry of Industry and Trade, mentioned that the country wants to streamline regulatory requirements in order to make it easier for Russian medical device manufacturers to export their products. Whether the regulations will make it easier for foreign companies operating in Russia to navigate the regulatory system remains to be seen.

For more on medical device regulations in general and Russia specifically, take a look at the following:

• Medical device regulatory processes for 10 countries
• Clinical Trial Supply Challenges in China, Russia, Brazil & the Ukraine
• E-labeling medical devices for the EU market

ForeignExchange Translations provides specialized medical translations for electronic as well as paper-based regulatory submissions. Contact us to find out more.
 
 

After a small break following our busiest year ever, 2012 has started with a bang for us here at ForeignExchange Translations: new team members, new clients, new Learning Unplugged seminars, and new content on Medical Translation Insight.

In case you missed them, here are the posts that received the most attention in January:

1. Is Google Translate accurate enough for professional use? - It looks like this post from a couple of years ago got featured across the web: readership spiked last month!
2. Dunglish, where Dutch and English collide - And collide, they do: Mama, die, die, die...
3. Developing world turns less friendly to drug trials - Scary and disturbing news resulting from a clinical study in Latin America
4. Working with numbers in Arabic translations - We ask clients about their preference: European or "Arabic-Indic" digits?
5. Meeting the linguistic requirements for EMA submissions - This is a big topic and Anabel's presentation on February 21 has drawn huge interest

Interested in past months' most popular articles? Take a look at our roundups for December, November, and October. Happy reading and happy weekend!


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ForeignExchange has a strong history in the translation of Japanese regulatory and clinical documentation. We have a strong team of qualified native-speaking Japanese linguists and a technical services staff that is experienced in the nuances of PAL-compliant documentation for both the medical device and pharmaceutical industries. We have not only expertly translated content for our clients but have also partnered with them on upstream process efficiencies to address the unique logistical, technical and cultural challenges faced when working within the framework of PMDA and with Japanese Marketing Authorization Holders. You can download a white paper that discusses some of these process improvements.

In addition to our work with clients, ForeignExchange was the only translation provider selected by the Regulatory Affairs Professional Society to translate its authoritative book, “Fundamentals of Japanese Regulatory Affairs” from Japanese into English. The book is the industry's definitive guide for navigating product approvals in Japan as well as a textbook for regulatory professionals seeking certification credits.

ForeignExchange's expertise is not only seen in our translation work but also in the various conferences in which we've been invited to speak on Japan regulatory translations and articles our staff has published in respected industry trade journals such as RAPS Focus and Multilingual. To find out more about ForeignExchange's Japanese capabilities, check out our Website.


Find out more about ForeignExchange's specialized Japanese translation services for medical device and pharmaceutical companies.
 

In medical translations, the ability to track changes is a key component of delivering quality to clients. And it's not just about the quality per se; for regulatory submissions or some clinic trial work, all changes have to be documented and approved, which means that change tracking is an everyday task for many medical translators, editors, and project managers.

ChangeTracker, a new tool for professional translators and editors simplifies and speeds up this process. ChangeTracker is available free of charge from www.change-tracker.com.

The software is very easy to use: download the tool, start it, drag two bilingual files (e.g., a original translation and corresponding edited file) into the corresponding fields, align the names, and run it. In our use, this process has proven to be much faster than using other tools, such as ApSic Comparator.

As of version 1.0, ChangeTracker compares bilingual documents in many popular formats:

• Trados (TTX, SDLXLIFF)
• MemoQ (XLIFF)
• Idiom, Translation Workspace (XLZ)
• Oscar (TMX)
• Wordfast (TXML)Microsoft Helium (HE)
• Microsoft Word (DOC, DOCX, RTF)

Whether you want to get improve final quality, document changes, or improve consistency, ChangeTracker can be a great addition to your toolkit!

[Source: About Translation via Donna Parrish]

For more on this topic, take a look at:

• Automating QA in translation
• Man vs. machine in proofreading
• Tools: QA Distiller

After a post like this, how can you NOT subscribe to Medical Translation Insight via email or RSS?!?
 

For the eleventh year in a row, clients of ForeignExchange Translations say they are very satisfied with the quality and service they have received, and an astonishing 96% say they would gladly recommend ForeignExchange to other companies looking for a translation and localization provider.

Since the year 2000, ForeignExchange has conducted a comprehensive annual survey of its clients, to assist in determining the focus of its ongoing service improvement efforts.

The 2011 survey results are now in, with an overall satisfaction rating of 5.27 out of 6. When comparing ForeignExchange to other translation and localization providers with whom they have worked, clients stated their belief that ForeignExchange is doing a better job in terms of quality, price, customer service and technical knowledge.

The 2011 survey was sent to 408 clients who signed off on translation projects within the calendar year. 91 surveys were completed, for a response rate of 22%. You can download the summary report of the 2011 survey here.


ForeignExchange's METRiQ quality system provides medical device and pharmaceutical companies with measurable, known software localization quality. To learn more, contact ForeignExchange Translations.
 
 

We've got some great educational offerings in the next few weeks.

Translations 101
Translation is an arcane discipline, where state-of-the-art technology comes together with a very human process. Done well, medical translations can save lives by getting products to market faster with the vital information needed for safe, correct use. But it can be expensive and time-consuming and translation quality can be difficult to measure. Many people don’t know how it works and myths and misconceptions abound.
On February 29th, we will be hosting a complimentary Learning Unplugged seminar on “Translation 101” in the Boston area.  It will cover how translation works – the technology, the people and the process. It will explain what Translation Memory technology is and how it augments the human function. We’ll cover what makes a good medical translator, why editing is important and the nuances and pitfalls of localized document design and layout. Attendees will go away with not only a better understanding of how the translation process works but also with actionable takeaways that can help improve quality, shorten timelines and save money when working with their translation providers.

The two-hour complimentary seminar will be held on February 29th. Location details remain to be confirmed but if you’re interested in attending, contact education@fxtrans.com to get more information or get added to the attendee list.

Plain Language Authoring
The Plain Writing Act of 2010 is the latest government effort to make complicated regulations easier to read and understand. "Plain language" refers to a method of authoring documentation in a straightforward, sensible, engaging and culturally appropriate manner. It makes the complicated easier to grasp. It tells readers what they need to know and nothing else. When done correctly, it ensures understanding and compliance and improves patient safety – and now it's the law! What plain language is not, is the "dumbing down" of information.

Kristina E. Anderson of EasyRead Writing LLC, will be presenting on this topic on February 1st and you can register to listen in here:
http://www.fxconferences.com/Improving-Compliance-and-Patient-Safety-with-Plain-Language-Authoring-P803.aspx

EMA Submission Compliance
Translating product information documents in preparation for an EMA submission can be a frustrating, complex and lengthy process for both pharmaceutical companies and their translation providers. However, by establishing and maintaining communication from the start of the project, and by working together to establish realistic timelines and achievable milestones, many of the common headaches can be avoided. Our own Anabel Perez will be presenting on this topic on February 21st. Register here:
http://www.fxconferences.com/Meeting-the-Linguistic-Requirements-for-EMA-Submissions-P814.aspx


ForeignExchange's METRiQ quality system provides medical device and pharmaceutical companies with measurable, known software localization quality. To learn more, contact ForeignExchange Translations.
 
 

Anabel Pérez is one of our Senior Project Managers here at ForeignExchange Translations. She has been involved in the medical localization field since 2004 in a variety of roles from freelance translator to in-house proofreader and localization project manager.

Over this period, Anabel has gathered a lot of know-how around EMA submissions. She understands that translating product information documents in preparation for an EMA submission can be a frustrating, complex, and lengthy process for both pharmaceutical companies and their translation providers. However, by establishing and maintaining communication from the start of the project, and by working together to establish realistic timelines and achievable milestones, many of the common headaches can be avoided.

In her presentation Meeting the Linguistic Requirements for EMA Submissions, looks at the pain points encountered when translating for an EMA submission and proposes solutions, innovations, and best practices that will allow client and medical translation supplier to work together collaboratively to meet all the EMA requirements.

Anabel's presentation covers:

• Project start-up – start right to finish well (communication protocol, scheduling, linguistic strategy)
• QRD requirements (linguistic and formatting)
• Tools for QA (QRDetect™)
• Pain points: affiliate & member state review, timetables, change management
• Post-mortem process: learning and improving

Register or download the recording to learn how to take the linguistic pain out of EMA submissions!

For related information, take a look at the following:

• Complying with EMA's New Mandatory Requirements for Medicinal Product Information (EVMPD)
• QRD templates are imperfect, getting better
• QRD compliance just got easier thanks to QRDetect
• Requirements for readability testing of PILs

ForeignExchange Translations provides specialized medical translations for electronic as well as paper-based regulatory submissions. Contact us to find out more.