Category: All

Culturalization in Pediatric Care Adapting Healthcare Communication for Diverse Needs - Portada
18/11/2025

Culturalization in Pediatric Care: Adapting Healthcare Communication for Diverse Needs

Posted on | by Kemel Cobresle | Leave a Comment on Culturalization in Pediatric Care: Adapting Healthcare Communication for Diverse Needs

Pediatric patients are often considered an especially vulnerable population because of their developing systems, limited autonomy, and reliance on adults for care. When these patients, or their caregivers, face cultural barriers stemming from their language, religion, cultural norms or trust in medical systems, this vulnerability is heightened. To care for these doubly vulnerable children, who account for a significant portion of US pediatric patients, providers need to not only develop cultural competency but also adapt their healthcare materials to align with the language needs and backgrounds of diverse families.  

Attention to both language and culture when designing healthcare resources plays a role in reducing patient and family anxiety and increasing trust in the provider; it can also improve children’s pediatric care experiences and outcomes. 

Culturalization in Pediatric Healthcare 

Culturalization is a deeper and more comprehensive approach to translation used with medical content to ensure it is not only linguistically accurate but also aligned with the values, beliefs, and expectations of the target audience. Adapting tone, terminology, and cultural references is essential to making information more relatable and engaging.  

A brochure on childhood immunizations might, for example, be translated into Spanish using the formal mode of address and accessible terminology; be adapted to include photos of Hispanic children and families; and include a section addressing vaccine hesitancy and providing questions families can use to start a conversation with their provider.  

The degree to which healthcare materials take patient identities into account influences the way children and parents interact with them, so great attention should be given to tailoring them, especially when they provide key information like treatment options, patient instructions, and health education on a specific topic. 

How Sensitive Translation Improves Patient Engagement 

Sensitive translation is at the root of culturalization and is essential in fostering patient engagement. Tailoring language and content to local values while maintaining accuracy is of the utmost importance because failure to do so can alienate patients or lead to misunderstandings. Below are some examples of healthcare materials that need to be culturally adapted for diverse audiences to increase understanding and compliance: 

  • eConsent forms: Adapt legal tone, reading level, and decision-making language. Consider how family roles and perceptions of medical authority vary across cultures (e.g., collectivist vs. individualist decision-making). 
  • Appointment reminders: Adjust phrasing for formality/informality, preferred time formats (12h vs. 24h), date formats, and cultural holidays or taboos around certain days/times. 

The Role of Culturalization in Reducing Anxiety and Building Trust 

Recognizing that children’s experiences when they receive medical care can significantly impact their overall well-being, healthcare providers have sought to create more positive and empowering encounters through the CARE model, which stands for Choices, Agenda, Resilience and Emotional support. Culturalization contributes to emotionally safe pediatric care by making this model accessible to all patients. Below is a description of each element of the CARE model and how culturalization supports it. 

  • CHOICE: Giving patients a sense of control and agency, even in small ways, can significantly reduce their feelings of powerlessness. Providers might, for example, let the child choose which arm they want a shot in or which comfort measures they want to use. Another way they can support choice is by providing culturally adapted consent forms, instructional materials and educational resources to help families make informed decisions in their preferred language. 
  • AGENDA: Clearly laying out the care plan, including what to expect and what is expected of the patient and family, can alleviate anxiety and promote understanding. Care plans translated using culturally resonant language can help families understand and follow treatment steps confidently. 
  • RESILIENCE: Focusing on a child’s strengths and reframing negative experiences can help build resilience and foster a more positive outlook. Adapting the tone and content of encouraging messages to a specific cultural context can encourage emotional strength in children facing medical stress. 

In short, working in tandem with the CARE model, culturalization fosters trust and reduces anxiety by aligning communication with cultural expectations. 

Conclusion 

Cultural competency in pediatric care is essential to serving children well. While many things contribute to a culturally competent experience, language access and thoughtful translation are integral to ensuring equity and engagement. By integrating language and cultural adaptation into their practice, health care providers can enhance patient experiences, improve outcomes, and build trust with diverse communities.

Localization Consultancy in Gaming Key Expertise for Global Success - Portada
11/11/2025

Localization Consultancy in Gaming: Key Expertise for Global Success

Posted on | by Litzaqueline Briceño | Leave a Comment on Localization Consultancy in Gaming: Key Expertise for Global Success

Successful video game development has always required creativity and technical precision, but today it also demands heightened global awareness. Audiences are switching on and logging in from every corner of the world, and they expect their entertainment to reflect their culture, language, and way of playing. As more developers look to broaden their launches, meeting these diverse audience expectations means approaching multi-edition game development with far more than straightforward translation expertise. It also requires foresight, planning, and specialized knowledge of an increasingly global player base. 

Localization consultancy provides precisely this expertise, and more. Advisory consultants are uniquely positioned to help developers make informed choices about everything from a game’s cultural references to its technical systems. Their input ensures that games are designed in ways that work across multiple regions, which saves production time down the line and makes each release feel polished and globally relevant. 

Key Areas of Expertise 

Consultants bring value at every stage of development, but they’re often an untapped resource until problems arise, and they’re brought in to resolve issues. By engaging their services early, however, studios can avoid costly rework and create a smoother path toward global launch. Here, we’ll outline the main areas where a localization consultant’s guidance makes a tangible difference. 

1. Cultural Consultancy 

The cultural elements of a video game have a powerful effect on how players experience a story. Consultants can offer excellent feedback on game elements including character names, visual symbols, and forms of humor, weighing in on whether these choices will resonate in different regions of the world, or result in player disengagement or confusion. A consultant’s goal is to maintain the original intent of the game while making sure it feels authentic and respectful to players everywhere. 

2. Internationalization (i18n) 

The internationalization process lays the groundwork for multilingual games. Consultants help prepare systems so that text displays correctly in different scripts, menus can handle longer lines, and fonts cover the right character sets. With this foundation in place, the task of adding languages becomes a smooth process, rather than a technical obstacle late in development. 

3. Pre-Production Guidance 

Production choices made early on often influence whether a game’s localization will be seamless, or full of challenges. Consultants who are called upon to step in during pre-production can therefore be invaluable for their ability to spot risks and offer alternatives. For example, a localization team may suggest building dialogue systems that can accommodate grammatical gender in certain languages, or ensure that menus avoid embedded text. Adjustments like these reduce delays and make later stages of development more efficient. 

4. Pseudotranslation 

Pseudotranslation is a simple but powerful tool in a localization consultant’s toolbox that uses mock translations to simulate how in-game text will behave once localized. It reveals potential issues such as text expansion, broken UI layouts, or missing and unsupported characters before full translation begins. Consultants can then help developers fix such problems before release. 

5. Market- and Genre-Based Consultancy 

Different markets and genres present developers with different audience expectations. Consultants, who are experts in regional player preferences, are there to advise on how to align content accordingly. Fans of role-playing games might expect detailed lore, for example, while mobile audiences often prefer shorter, more accessible text. By tailoring the localization approach to both market and genre, studios increase the chances that their game feels engaging and relevant across regions and platforms. 

Together, these areas show how consultancy reaches far beyond the task of translation. The localization process also touches on the cultural, technical, and creative sides of game development, and gives teams the perspective they need to launch games that connect with global audiences. 

Conclusion 

Localization consultancy is not an optional extra, but a practical way to strengthen development. By addressing cultural adaptation, internationalization, early planning, and market expectations, consultants help studios avoid common pitfalls and bring players a more coherent experience, right from publication. Their work makes games easier to adapt, more enjoyable to play, and ultimately better prepared for international success. 

How eConsent Helps Global Trials Engage Patients and Boost Compliance - Portada
04/11/2025

How eConsent Helps Global Trials Engage Patients and Boost Compliance

Posted on | by Kemel Cobresle | Leave a Comment on How eConsent Helps Global Trials Engage Patients and Boost Compliance

As clinical trials embrace digital transformation, informed consent, once a paper-based formality, is evolving into something much more dynamic and participant-centered. Electronic consent, or eConsent, is quickly becoming a cornerstone of modern research protocol, and for good reason. eConsent offers a more engaging, efficient, and inclusive way to manage one of the most crucial parts of a study: a participant’s understanding of what they’re signing up for. 

From Paper to Digital: Why eConsent Matters 

For decades, informed consent was handled through printed documents that participants had to read, interpret, and, often, sign onsite at a medical facility. This approach, of course, can be limiting, particularly in global studies that span multiple time zones, languages, and literacy levels. 

eConsent replaces static documents with interactive, digital experiences. Through user-friendly platforms, participants can explore study information at their own pace and engage with visual aids, videos, and other multimedia tools to better understand the study’s procedures, risks, and expectations. This shift doesn’t just streamline logistics; it makes the consent process more meaningful and indelible. 

Moreover, eConsent platforms allow researchers to track completion in real time, send automated reminders, and quickly identify gaps, all of which help reduce delays that could affect the trial timeline. 

Compliance and Confidentiality in a Digital Landscape 

While the benefits of eConsent are clear, its implementation also introduces important considerations, especially when it comes to protecting personal data and complying with regulatory standards. 

Robust access controls are critical. Electronic consent systems must ensure that only authorized users, whether they are researchers, ethics boards, or participants, can view or modify information. Identity verification is also essential to prevent unauthorized access, and encryption should be used to safeguard data both during transmission and when stored. 

Just as important is traceability. A well-designed eConsent system maintains a detailed, time-stamped log of user actions, which supports transparency and audit-readiness. Adherence to global regulations such as HIPAA, GDPR, and region-specific privacy laws isn’t optional, and it’s central to building trust with participants and maintaining the integrity of the study. 

Designing with Patients in Mind 

Technology should never be a barrier to participation. That’s why user experience (UX) and accessibility must be prioritized when deploying eConsent solutions, especially in trials involving diverse, global populations. A thoughtful design ensures that participants feel empowered, not overwhelmed. 

Key aspects to consider include: 

  • Accessibility Features: Screen reader compatibility, adjustable font sizes, and keyboard navigation options help enhance access for users with visual or motor impairments. 
  • Intuitive Navigation: Clear instructions, progress indicators, and a step-by-step format reduce confusion and support patient confidence throughout the process. 
  • Cognitive Simplicity: Information should be presented in plain language, avoiding medical or legal jargon that could alienate or confuse participants. 

By designing with inclusion in mind, eConsent platforms not only meet compliance requirements, they create better experiences that support long-term participant engagement. 

Why Localization is Non-Negotiable 

In global clinical research, a one-size-fits-all approach to participant consent doesn’t work. Regulatory expectations, cultural norms, and communication styles vary dramatically across countries and communities. That’s why localization takes center stage in the adaptation of eConsent systems, so that they truly fit the environments in which they’re deployed. 

This adaptive stage is where the right language partner becomes critical for research groups. A skilled localization team will help ensure eConsent materials meet regulatory expectations in each target region, as they respect local cultural nuances and remain consistent across languages and system updates. Without this oversight, even the most sophisticated platform risks losing its resonance with patients, and even its regulatory compliance. 

A successful and effective partnership with a research group requires linguistic expertise and technological fluency on the part of the localization team. From navigating complex file formats to integrating translated content into interactive tools, the right localization expert will enable the eConsent process to be globally scalable, without sacrificing quality or clarity. 

Conclusion 

eConsent is more than a digital solution; it’s a strategic upgrade to the way clinical trials engage with participants. By improving participant comprehension, streamlining compliance, and opening the door to more inclusive research, eConsent helps to ensure that studies are not only faster and more efficient, but also more equitable. 

When combined with thoughtful design and strategic localization, eConsent empowers researchers to connect with patients across cultures, languages, and borders as it delivers better experiences and better science.

Building Parental Trust Through the Culturalization of Digital Games for Kids
15/10/2025

Building Parental Trust Through the Culturalization of Digital Games for Kids

Posted on | by Kemel Cobresle | Leave a Comment on Building Parental Trust Through the Culturalization of Digital Games for Kids

Parents don’t just choose games for their children based on appearance. Appealing visuals are important, but primarily, parents are drawn to games that feel safe, familiar, and respectful of their values. For developers who want to communicate those elements of their product to parents, this is where culturalization takes center stage. Culturalization is more than a layer of language translation, it is a process that allows teams to tailor design, content, and player interactions so that these game elements reflect local customs and expectations.  

That level of care can be the reason a parent installs a game, recommends it to others, or allows it to become part of their child’s daily routine. In a competitive global market, cultural alignment in a game serves as a powerful trust signal. And in children’s content, trust is the strongest driver of long-term success. 

Why Trust Makes the Difference 

In every region of the world, families harbor their own definitions of what feels appropriate. These standards vary across countries and cultures, which might mean, for example, that a game that aligns well with parenting norms in Argentina may not feel suitable to families in Japan. 

Parents often search for tools that reinforce their local values, support early learning goals, and align with their culture’s social expectations. Games that have been culturalized might meet these criteria by celebrating local holidays, featuring artwork that reflects regional clothing, or presenting with an interface that supports languages written right to left. 

When games speak the language of a culture both verbally and visually, they show families they care not only about access, but also connection. This added level of care helps position the game to parents as a reliable, respectful option for their child’s learning and engagement. 

What a Culture-First Approach Looks Like 

Culturalization works best when it’s implemented early in a game’s development. That’s because a culture-first mindset can shape the product at every level of creation: Decisions about character and storylines, voice tone, and even the use of gestures can be made more intentional and beneficial with cultural insight. 

The process of culturalization in children’s games also becomes more effective when there is close collaboration between developers, artists, UX designers, and localization experts. Linguists offer valuable context that helps teams avoid common missteps and create experiences that feel coherent and relevant. 

Some of the clearest rewards of culturalization include: 

  • Stronger trust in the product from parents and caregivers 
  • Higher retention across different markets 
  • Positive word of mouth in parenting communities 
  • Fewer adjustments required for market compliance 

When families feel seen and respected, they are more likely to return to a game, explore more features, and engage more often. 

Recognition Fuels Retention 

Parents want their children to feel safe and represented in digital spaces. When a game reflects local traditions or offers content in a language they use at home, the experience becomes more personal. 

This recognition encourages trust, and trust leads to loyalty. Games that invest in cultural nuance are more likely to stay installed and recommended, especially among families who carefully evaluate digital tools for children. 

By contrast, a product that misses important cultural cues may lead to disengagement. Families that feel disconnected may literally disconnect, even if a game’s design is polished and the educational value is high. 

Conclusion 

Culturalization strengthens every layer in the development of a kids’ game because it allows creators to connect with families in meaningful ways. When development and localization teams collaborate on a shared goal, they produce content that supports customer trust, that in turn fosters sustainable growth and continued engagement. 

Inclusive Language in Queer Healthcare  Why It Matters More Than Ever - Portada
08/10/2025

Inclusive Language in Queer Healthcare: Why It Matters More Than Ever

Posted on | by Litzaqueline Briceño | Leave a Comment on Inclusive Language in Queer Healthcare: Why It Matters More Than Ever

Imagine you’re in a doctor’s office. You’re in pain, feeling vulnerable, and trying to explain something personal about your body. Then, the healthcare professional caring for you uses words that convey a lack of understanding. Maybe they make assumptions about you, ask questions that seem intrusive and irrelevant, or speak in a dismissive way that makes you feel invisible. In intimate settings like this one, language isn’t just a vehicle for gathering facts, it’s central to forging connection and trust.  

The language healthcare workers use shapes how safe patients feel and how comfortable they are disclosing important health-related information. But for many LGBTQ+ individuals, providers’ persistent use of outdated and non-inclusive language makes healthcare settings unwelcoming and worsens health outcomes. And while there are many factors that affect the quality of care patients receive, including legal restrictions and differences in health beliefs, the kind of environment a provider’s language creates is a huge determinant.  

Photo of Adriel Maroni.

Our People & Culture Specialist, Adriel Maroni, attests to the impact this conscientious use of language can have: “As someone who’s both part of the LGBTQ+ community and works in language services, I’ve seen firsthand how much of a difference the right words can make. Because it’s about showing you care about creating inclusive, respectful, and caring environments for the community.” 

Medical professionals already have a strong understanding of the important role language access plays in properly caring for the over 67 million people in the U.S. who speak a language other than English at home; extending that understanding addressing the needs of queer patients, who make up 7.6% of the U.S. population, is the next step in promoting health equity. Providers can remove subtle language barriers by using simple, neutral, and inclusive language. If you’re wondering what that looks like in practice, read on! 

From Theory to Practice 

Healthcare teams, and the language professionals who support them, can employ inclusive language strategies to better meet the needs of LGBTQ+ patients. But these strategies are most effective when grounded in cultural competency: the ability to recognize, respect, and adapt to others’ lived experiences. A culturally competent team approaches interactions with humility and a genuine willingness to learn, acknowledging the impact of past discrimination, avoiding assumptions, and listening closely when patients share their identity and needs. When teams start with cultural competency, inclusive language strategies build on and reinforce the consideration they are already showing.  

Using Gender-Neutral Language 

One strategy health professionals can employ to create space for queer patients is to speak in gender-neutral terms. In English, some gendered terminology is used when referring to people and animals, and many languages, such as Spanish and French, have a grammatical gender system in which all nouns are classified as either masculine or feminine. To avoid making assumptions about gender, providers can opt for gender-neutral words such as “partner” instead of “husband/wife/boyfriend/girlfriend” and “parent” instead of “mother/father.”  

Providers can also skip unnecessary gendered words, as in “The patient should continue taking [his or her] medications as prescribed” or use plurals to keep language neutral, as in “People with asthma should carry their inhalers with them at all times.” They can also rephrase thoughts using “the patient” instead of “he/she,” as in “The patient is in the waiting room” instead of “He is here for his appointment.”  

Together, these techniques can lower the anxiety many LGBTQ+ patients feel when seeking care and encourage them to share their concerns more openly. 

Respecting Names and Pronouns

Another way healthcare providers can show care for their queer patients is to respect their chosen names and pronouns, especially in the patient registration and admission process. Ensuring that all paperwork offers patients the opportunity to identify themselves as they see fit by, for example, including a write-in gender field, not just “male” or “female”, demonstrates a commitment to inclusivity. If a provider misuses a pronoun, they can make a brief, sincere apology and move on. This helps build trust and shows a willingness to improve. And, when names or gender markers don’t match official documents, providers can respectfully ask “Could the insurance be listed under a different name?” instead of asking for the patient’s “real” name, which can feel invalidating. 

Providing Education 

Inclusive language isn’t mastered overnight; using it effectively and consistently takes ongoing education and openness to growth. But improving health equity starts with improving education around language. Healthcare professionals, translators, and interpreters should all receive regular training to understand best practices that will allow them to provide inclusive, culturally responsive care.  

Providers may at first feel inadequately prepared or lack confidence in their ability to use inclusive language. The good news is, patients don’t expect perfection; attentiveness and genuine effort go a long way. Adriel told us: “The most inclusive providers I’ve worked with aren’t the ones who know everything. They’re the ones who are willing to listen and learn.”  

Caregivers can begin by using some of the strategies we have mentioned and giving themselves grace. And translators can do their part by paying close attention to the author’s intent. If the source text uses gender-neutral language, it’s likely a deliberate effort to be inclusive, so the final translation should preserve that tone by using equivalent gender-neutral language in the target text whenever possible. 

Why It’s Worth the Effort 

Inclusive language is about showing patients they belong. For LGBTQ+ individuals, thoughtful communication can be the difference between feeling dismissed and feeling safe. When healthcare teams and language professionals take the time to ask the right questions and listen with respect, we move closer to a system where every patient, regardless of language, identity, or background, receives informed, compassionate care. 

Clinical Trials & Translation Putting Patients First - Portada
23/09/2025

Clinical Trials & Translation: Putting Patients First

Posted on | by Litzaqueline Briceño | Leave a Comment on Clinical Trials & Translation: Putting Patients First

Imagine being invited to join a clinical trial that could improve your health. When you arrive for your first appointment, you receive several documents including consent forms, dosing instructions, and details about potential trial risks. 

Now imagine that those documents are written in a language you don’t fully understand. You’re expected to make informed decisions about your care, but the material you’ve been given feels confusing and possibly incomplete. Can you comfortably submit to treatment in such conditions? 

For many patients, this scenario is all too real. When trial materials aren’t translated clearly and thoughtfully, it becomes harder for people to make confident choices about their care. The result? Barriers to participation, increased safety risks, and breakdowns in trust. 

Clear Communication Is About More Than Compliance 

Translation in clinical trials is often seen as a bureaucratic regulatory requirement. But its value extends far beyond compliance. Clear, accurate translation helps protect patients from misinformation and supports ethical research. When done well, it ensures transparency: people truly understand what’s being asked of them in terms of care and consent, and that clarity promotes patient trust throughout the process. 

When translation falls short, the risks are significant and include: 

  • Patient harm due to unclear instructions. A 2023 study of polypharmacy patients revealed that more than 50% of them misunderstood at least one dosage instruction. Many were unsure how often to take their treatment, which put them at risk for dosing errors that could affect their recovery or safety.  
  • Discouraged participation due to lack of clarity. Many older adults choose not to participate in trials because they don’t fully understand what the process involves. Poor understanding can lead to lower enrollment rates and reduced access to potentially life-changing treatments. 
  • Incomplete understanding that undermines informed consent. Research shows that key concepts like placebo use or randomization are often misunderstood by patients, which makes it harder for participants to make informed decisions. 

For patients, clear communication can mean the difference between being safe or being at risk. In fact, poor communication has been linked to nearly one-third of all patient safety incidents in the healthcare worldwide, which reinforces the fact that thoughtful, accurate translation is fundamental to safe and respectful care. 

What Makes Clinical Translation So Complex 

Providing patient-friendly translation is no easy task. It requires a deep understanding of medical terminology, regulatory expectations, and the ability to adapt content for different cultures and literacy levels. Some of the most common challenges include: 

  • Medical Jargon. Technical terms must be translated clearly without sacrificing accuracy or confusing the reader. Informational precision must be balanced with a text that is easily understood, so that every patient can comprehend what they’re reading.  
  • Time Sensitivity. Clinical trials often operate on tight deadlines. Translation work, therefore, must be done quickly, but without cutting corners that could compromise patient safety or understanding. 

Translating with Care 

Clinical trials are built on relationships among patients, researchers, and care teams. When communication is clear, patients feel more confident, more informed, and in control of their own care. 

Therefore, an investment in high-quality, culturally sensitive translation does much more good than simply meeting compliance standards. It also demonstrates to patients that their voice matters, and that their comprehension of their own treatment is essential to the care they receive. 

Mitigating Risks in Complex Localization Projects: Who Leads the Charge?
09/09/2025

Mitigating Risks in Complex Localization Projects

Posted on | by Kemel Cobresle | Leave a Comment on Mitigating Risks in Complex Localization Projects

Global localization projects don’t leave much room for error. A single setback, be it a missed deadline, data breach, or quality inconsistency, can damage client trust, inflate costs, or delay time-to-market expectations. This is especially true for large-volume, multi-language projects with sensitive content or tight delivery windows. 

It’s high-pressure enterprises like these in which solutions architects (SAs) play a critical role. Acting as risk managers as much as technical experts, they keep goals for long-term success at the fore as they ensure that complex localization runs smoothly and securely, no matter what challenges may arise. 

Managing Risk in a High-Stakes Environment 

Solutions architects work proactively to identify and address issues before they become roadblocks. From regulatory compliance to IP protection and linguistic quality assurance, risk factors in the localization process can take many forms.  

  • Confidentiality and Data Security. When managing projects that involve sensitive client materials such as legal, medical, or unreleased video game content, data protection is non-negotiable. Solutions architects design workflows with secure platforms, role-based permissions, and encrypted environments to safeguard every file and communication channel. “We’ve implemented tagging systems in CAT tools so that sensitive information is protected, and translators only see data when absolutely necessary,” says Sara Rodríguez, a solutions architect at Terra. “That’s the level of detail we go into to protect confidentiality.”
     
  • Quality Assurance by Design. Risk not only increases with data exposure; but also with instances of quality inconsistency or a lack of operational control. Solutions architects mitigate scenarios like these by embedding quality checks directly into workflows. That could mean setting up automated QA rules, integrating feedback loops, or syncing real-time updates with translation memories. At all times, an SA’s focus is on preventing mistakes before they happen. 
  • Customized Workflows That Fit the Stakes. Every high-stakes project presents unique risks. A solutions architect’s job is to analyze the full picture, from content type and client goals to technical constraints and potential hurdles, and tailor a localization process that balances speed with precision. This often includes setting up parallel workflows for time-sensitive projects, pre-validating file formats, and building escalation protocols for real-time problem resolution. As Sara explains, “The starting point is understanding what’s at stake, what’s business-critical for the client. Then we work backward to build a process that protects and achieves their objective.” 

Foresight as a Competitive Advantage 

As we’ve said before, risk mitigation starts at the discovery phase. Through early consultation, solutions architects help clients identify hidden vulnerabilities such as unsupported file types, unclear compliance rules, or overlooked QA steps, and map them to scalable solutions. Along the way, this discovery process helps clients themselves operate with more confidence and clarity. 

In addition, as they reduce ambiguity and anticipate the unexpected, solutions architects create the right conditions for long-term quality and performance, for the clients they’re serving, and for the localization teams they’re leading. 

Internally, SAs help align cross-functional work groups, clarify roles, and ensure that developers, project managers, and linguists are all operating from the same blueprint, so instances of miscommunication or duplicated efforts are diminished. 

Conclusion 

Risk is an unavoidable element of localization, but it doesn’t have to be a constant threat. With a solutions architect’s involvement from the start, localization teams and their clients gain a strategic partner who sees the full scope of potential pitfalls, and builds systems to avoid them. 

From the establishment of secure environments and embedded QA to the orchestration of flexible workflows that evolve with the project, solutions architects turn complex demands into manageable, scalable processes. In so doing, they protect not only deliverables, but stakeholders’ relationships, reputations, and results. 

Pharma Marketing Translation The Right Strategy, with the Right Tone - Portada
26/08/2025

Pharma Marketing Translation: The Right Strategy, with the Right Tone

Posted on | by Litzaqueline Briceño | Leave a Comment on Pharma Marketing Translation: The Right Strategy, with the Right Tone

The introduction of a life-changing medication has the potential to benefit us all. But even after years of research and significant investment, a product launch can fall short, not because of faulty science, but because of a failed market entry. Many of these failures boil down to the fact that the entry hasn’t effectively built trust with its audience. Perhaps the launch created confusion, or left patients feeling uncertain about what benefits the medication actually offers. 

In the pharmaceutical industry, marketing translation work shapes how a product is perceived and whether it succeeds. For pharmaceutical companies looking to forge stronger connections to providers and patients, that means it’s essential to engage with a language partner that offers the right expertise. As translators tackle everything from educational materials to professional outreach communication, their duties demand far more than language fluency alone. They must also employ a careful mix of strategy, accuracy, and acute cultural awareness.   

What Is Marketing Translation in Pharma? 

Pharmaceutical marketing translation means adapting promotional and educational content for different global audiences, while adhering to regulations and staying true to the original message’s emotional intent. Good translators keep in mind, always, that on the receiving end of their work are real people including doctors, pharmacists, and patients who need to understand what the product does, why it matters, and how it can help. The materials they translate don’t just list medication features and benefits; they also include emotional and cultural messaging. Translators, therefore, need to connect, persuade, and often guide the reader toward making an informed decision or taking a specific action.  
  
Unlike regulatory translation, which focuses on clinical data and formal documentation, marketing content must balance technical accuracy with a natural, compelling tone. When done well, it not only builds trust in the brand, it also supports better patient outcomes. In fact, research shows that multilingual health information improves understanding and helps patients follow treatment plans more effectively.  

Know Before You Go: The Regional Rules of Pharmaceutical Marketing  

Before translating a single word, it’s essential for translators to understand the type of pharmaceutical marketing allowed in the target audience’s country. Regulations vary widely, and what’s permitted in one region may be strictly prohibited in another.  

The United States, for instance, is a country that permits direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising of prescription drugs. However, ads are heavily regulated by the FDA and fall into three main categories:  

  • Product Claim Ads, which mention the drug name, its purpose, and benefits/risks.  
  • Reminder Ads, which state only the name of the drug, without mentioning its purpose.  
  • Help-Seeking Ads, which feature a symptom or condition, but do not mention a specific drug.  
Example by FDA about DTC advertising.

Canada, meanwhile, allows limited DTC advertising that’s restricted to brand name, price, and quantity of the drug. This means no therapeutic claims can be made in public ads.  

In Europe, advertising prescription-only medicines (POMs) to the general public is generally prohibited, while advertising to healthcare professionals is permitted under strict guidelines.   

Types of Marketing Translation  

When people hear the term “marketing,” they often picture a website or a printed brochure. But pharmaceutical marketing includes a wide range of materials, each tailored to a different audience member, whether a patient, pharmacist, or policymaker. Some of these materials include: 

  • Product catalogs and one-pagers  
  • Healthcare provider brochures and e-detailers  
  • Corporate blogs and white papers  
  • Explainer videos and subtitles  
  • Case studies, testimonials, and patient stories  
  • Infographics and digital campaigns  

Each piece comes with its own format(s) and considerations for the translator, which can involve space limitations, a highly particular emotional tone, and a significant degree of technical language. 

Balancing Content and Cultural Context  

Translating pharmaceutical marketing requires more than medical knowledge because beyond technical accuracy, the message must be clear, emotionally resonant, and tailored to its audience. Whether the content is telling a patient’s story or sharing a researcher’s insight, the language service provider translating it needs to understand the tone and persuasion behind it.  

For instance, telling a patient’s story involves diving deeper than simply listing symptoms and treatments. For the translator, it means conveying the patient’s emotional journey and showing how medication has improved their daily life. Similarly, a lab researcher’s testimonial might involve technical claims about precision or efficiency, but it must still engage the reader with clarity and impact.  

Cultural context also plays a major role in pharmaceutical translation. What sounds persuasive in one country may sound inappropriate or confusing in another. Taglines may not translate smoothly, while certain images and colors might carry unintended meaning. Even formatting issues, like longer translated text disrupting a brochure layout, can affect how a message lands.  

The Takeaway 

Effective pharmaceutical marketing entails crafting messages that resonate with diverse audiences, and meet regulatory demands. The right linguistic partner will understand your market, navigate compliance with precision, and capture the emotional and technical depth behind each message. In the end, your language partner will be helping your brand communicate with confidence, and expand responsibly. 

Healing Through Gaming The Role of Video Games in Therapy - Portada
12/08/2025

Healing Through Gaming: The Role of Video Games in Therapy

Posted on | by Kemel Cobresle | Leave a Comment on Healing Through Gaming: The Role of Video Games in Therapy

The idea that video games could support physical and cognitive healing might have sounded farfetched a few years ago. But today, it’s a growing field backed by research, innovation, and real-world results. Interactive games are increasingly being used in clinical and therapeutic settings to aid rehabilitation, improve motor function, and boost cognitive resilience. And when these tools are created with linguistic and cultural accessibility in mind, they can foster greater inclusion, engagement, and recovery for diverse patient populations. 

Gaming for Cognitive and Physical Rehabilitation 

Video games are becoming powerful tools in rehabilitation for helping patients regain cognitive and physical function in ways that feel more engaging and less clinical. Part of that success is thanks to their interactive design, which encourages repetition, focus, and motivation, key ingredients in effective therapy. The therapy spaces benefiting from such games are manifold:  

  • In cognitive rehabilitation, games like Brain Age, Lumosity, and CogniFit support memory, focus, and mental agility in older adults and brain injury patients. Platforms like NeuroRacer and its FDA-cleared successor EndeavorRx are used to enhance attention control in children with ADHD while offering structured, adaptive tasks grounded in cognitive neuroscience. 
Lumosity is a brain training game designed by scientists. Image from Lumosity.
Lumosity is a brain training game designed by scientists. Image from Lumosity.
Jintronix is a virtual therapy system for rehabilitation and senior care. Image from Jintronix.
Jintronix is a virtual therapy system for rehabilitation and senior care. Image from Jintronix.
  • For physical recovery, motion-based platforms such as Wii Fit, Xbox Kinect, and Jintronix turn therapy into engaging routines. These systems help stroke survivors and orthopedic patients improve balance and coordination. Tools like Dance Dance Revolution and Rehabilitation Gaming System (RGS) add gamified movement and repetition to therapy, which promote motor function and patient motivation. 
  • For speech and language rehabilitation, games and apps and games including Tactus Therapy, Speech Blubs, and Constant Therapy offer interactive ways for patients to improve pronunciation, comprehension, and vocabulary. These tools are often used by individuals recovering from brain injuries, aphasia, or developmental language delays. 
Speech Blubs is a fun language therapy app designed for kids. Image from Source Kids.
Speech Blubs is a fun language therapy app designed for kids. Image from Source Kids.
SeeMe is a rehabilitation platform that helps patients increase strength, balance, and range of motion through games. Image from Virtual Reality Rehabilitation.
SeeMe is a platform that helps patients increase strength and balance. Image from VR Rehabilitation.
  • In occupational therapy, task-based games like SeeMe, RehabStudio, and apps designed for Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) help patients practice real-world tasks including dressing, cooking, and organizing items. They’re often used by individuals recovering from traumatic injuries, neurological disorders, or age-related decline that affect their ability to manage everyday activities.

Many of these tools can also be used remotely through mobile apps, which offer adaptable programs that support ongoing recovery outside traditional clinical settings.  

By blending structure with play, these approaches are making rehabilitation more accessible and a bit more enjoyable for a wide range of patients. 

Challenges of Using Gaming for Therapy 

While the use of video games in therapy introduces exciting possibilities, it also comes with practical and technical challenges that must be addressed to ensure meaningful impact. These challenges span from access to usability, and they impact both patients and healthcare providers alike. 

Device Accessibility Not all patients have access to gaming devices like consoles or VR headsets, especially in low-income or rural areas. 
Adaptability to Patient Needs Games may not suit every patient’s abilities, thus requiring customization in terms of difficulty levels or mechanics to match therapeutic needs. 
Technical Barriers Many games require technical support, regular updates, or internet access, barriers for users with limited tech literacy or resources. 
Patient Engagement Some patients, particularly older adults or those unfamiliar with gaming, may feel uncomfortable or unmotivated to participate. 

Understanding these challenges helps developers and practitioners design more inclusive and adaptable therapeutic gaming experiences, ones that patients can actually access, engage with, and benefit from. 

The Impact of Language on Efficiency and Accessibility 

Language is more than a communication tool in therapeutic gaming, it’s a gateway to participation. When games lack proper localization, patients who don’t speak the default language may miss instructions, misunderstand feedback, or disengage entirely. 

To be effective, these tools must speak the patient’s language, literally and figuratively. This means localizing user interfaces, instructions, voiceovers, and progress tracking. But it also means adapting culturally specific content that may not resonate universally. 

A multilingual, well-localized game improves not only usability, but compliance, too. Patients are more likely to stick with therapy when the experience feels intuitive and respectful of their language and culture. Poor localization, on the other hand, can undermine patient trust and reduce the therapeutic value of even the most well-designed gaming tools. 

Conclusion 

Therapeutic video games are redefining rehabilitation by making it more engaging, personalized, and accessible to patients. From cognitive stimulation to physical recovery, the potential benefits are clear. But realizing their success depends on more than clever design or clinical validation. Language access and cultural adaptation are key to making these tools truly inclusive. 

As the use of therapeutic video games continues to grow, developers and healthcare professionals alike should recognize localization not as an add-on for these tools, but as a foundational component of effective therapeutic gaming. Because when the games become more universal, so does the healing they promote.  

When Bilingual Isn’t Enough: The Hidden Risks of Improvised Translation at Work
29/07/2025

The Hidden Risks of Improvised Translation at Work

Posted on | by Carolina Arriagada | Leave a Comment on The Hidden Risks of Improvised Translation at Work

In fast-paced work environments, language gaps are frequently bridged on the spot by a bilingual coworker or community member. These helpers act out of kindness and, more often than not, a sense of urgency. A colleague needs help understanding a form, an instruction, or a safety warning, and the message needs to be clarified—fast! 

Improvised translation in the workplace is a practical solution that many teams rely on, especially when time is tight and professional support isn’t immediately available. And in many cases, it’s an ad hoc fix that seems to work. But even the most fluent bilingual employee isn’t a substitute for a trained translator, and relying on them to fill that role, especially on a regular basis, can come with risks that aren’t always obvious at first. 

When Good Intentions Create Hidden Strain 

While bilingual employees can be incredibly valuable in bridging communication gaps, it is important to recognize that tasking them with translation duties may have unintended consequences. Consider, for example, that these team members have usually been hired to handle responsibilities other than translation. Asking them to step away from these responsibilities in order to provide language support can divert their focus from their primary role and ultimately disrupt their workflow. Over time, this additional pressure, especially if it goes unrecognized, can contribute to employee stress or even burnout. 

There are also important quality and compliance concerns to consider. Informal translation arrangements may raise confidentiality concerns or even result in compliance risks if information isn’t handled properly. Additionally, fluency doesn’t always equate to translation accuracy, particularly when it comes to technical or sensitive content. Without formal training, it’s easy even for native speakers to miss industry-specific terminology or subtle nuances, a gap that can lead to miscommunication over potentially high-stakes content.   

Impact Across Different Industries 

While the challenges of miscommunication can arise in any multilingual workplace, they’re especially serious in sectors where language diversity intersects with fast-paced or high-stakes operations. In construction and manufacturing, for instance, clear communication is critical to safety. When instructions, safety protocols, or training materials are translated informally or on-the-fly, even a small misstep in wording can lead to misinterpretation, workplace accidents, or costly delays. In healthcare, where consent forms and discharge instructions are sometimes translated by staff on the spot, misunderstandings can directly affect a patient’s ability to receive or follow proper care. 

In education, it’s not unusual for teachers or administrators to step in and help with communication needs, especially when working with parents or students who are still building English proficiency. But without the presence of consistent, accurate translation support, the risk is higher for information gaps and uneven experiences for families. The same goes for government and public services, where accuracy, clarity, and trust are key to relationship-building and general comprehension. Relying on internal staff to translate sensitive information, whether it’s a benefits application or a legal document, can jeopardize not only compliance, but the public’s confidence in the system. Consistent requests for improvised translation help is a sign of a deeper need for professional support that protects everyone involved. 

A Safer, More Sustainable Solution 

There’s no question that bilingual employees play a crucial role in today’s diverse workforce. Their ability to connect with colleagues and clients across languages can enhance collaboration and foster inclusivity. But when informal translation becomes a regular expectation of these employees, it can stress them personally and professionally, strain company resources, compromise content clarity, and put compliance at risk. 

Professional translation services offer a more reliable, long-term solution to bridging language gaps. It’s one that supports your team, protects critical information, and ensures that all content is handled with the accuracy, confidentiality, and cultural nuance it requires.