Vistatec Life Sciences - In Focus - Ep 23 - Karen Tkaczyk and Ana Sofía Correia

Introduction to the Podcast and Guest

Overview of the Episode

• The podcast, hosted by Karen Katik, features discussions with global life sciences experts.

• Today's guest is Anna Sophia Korea, a freelance medical translator and writer, marking the first linguist on the podcast.

• Karen shares her background as a freelance translator and editor, highlighting her collaboration with Anna.

Anna's Professional Journey

Career Background

• Anna has been a freelancer since 2007, specializing in medical translation while also working in-house for 12 years.

• She transitioned to full-time freelancing in 2018 after having her youngest daughter, fulfilling a long-term career plan.

• Initially focused on translation and revision, she expanded into content editing and localization over time.

Types of Content in Medical Translation

Regulatory vs. Non-Regulatory Content

• Anna categorizes her work into regulatory (clinical research materials like informed consent forms) and non-regulatory content (patient education materials).

• On the regulatory side, she works with clinical trial documentation and marketing authorization processes for medical devices.

• Non-regulatory work includes developing training materials for healthcare professionals that may require localization.

Expertise Development

Continuous Learning as a Linguist

• Despite not being a trained healthcare professional, Anna emphasizes building subject matter expertise through experience over nearly two decades.

• She actively participates in events to understand stakeholder perspectives within healthcare communication.

• Ongoing professional development is crucial; she makes conscious efforts to learn about new therapeutic areas relevant to her projects.

Passion Behind Medical Translation

Personal Connection to Work

• Anna's passion stems from living with a chronic condition, enhancing her understanding of patient needs regarding information clarity.

• She advocates for equitable access to high-quality information across languages; all patients deserve clear communication regardless of their language proficiency.

Challenges in Translation Quality

Issues with Language Adaptation

• There is often an imbalance where English-speaking audiences receive well-crafted content while translations are treated as secondary or rushed adaptations.

The Role of AI in Translation

Perspectives on AI Adoption

• Discussion shifts towards AI's impact on translation practices; organizations vary widely in their approach—some restrict its use entirely due to compliance concerns.

• Teams under pressure may experiment with AI without proper risk assessment; this can lead to significant issues if not managed carefully.

Importance of Linguists Early in Projects

Recommendations for Best Practices

• Anna stresses involving linguists early in project workflows rather than treating them as an afterthought; this improves overall quality and efficiency.