White Paper on Medical Translation Services: Rising Demand for Medical Translation and the Emergence of Cross-border Healthcare Consumption

2016 was a year of dramatic change for the entire healthcare industry. The influx of capital from financial markets, coupled with the rise of internet-based healthcare, ecosystem-driven healthcare models, and overseas medical tourism, has brought vibrant diversity to the healthcare sector. However, the internationalization of healthcare has seen sluggish growth due to the overall global economic and trade environment. While cross-border healthcare consumption has garnered significant attention, it also faces various challenges. Whether these trends will impact pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, or even individuals remains an urgent question that needs to be addressed. This article, based on the healthcare translation orders processed by Yuyi in 2016, organizes and analyzes relevant data, aiming to provide insights and references for professionals and aspiring practitioners in the healthcare industry.

As of December 2016, the Yuyi platform had received a total of 820 orders from the healthcare industry. The translated content covered medical device instructions for use (IFUs), medical websites, case records or physical examination reports, medical literature and research reports, medical contracts, and written hospital documentation (such as informed consent forms and hospitalization guidelines). Among these, translations of medical device product descriptions and user manuals accounted for a significant proportion.

With economic development, population growth, an aging society, and increasing public health awareness, global demand for medical devices has continued to grow rapidly, making the medical device industry one of the fastest-growing and most dynamic sectors in international trade. As a major exporter of medical devices, China is actively developing its broader health industry. The adoption of new technologies such as electronics, software, and big data is highly beneficial to the overall development of the medical device sector.

Of the 820 medical translation orders completed to date, 672 were for medical device translations. Among these, Chinese-to-English translations accounted for 80%, followed by Japanese, Korean, German, French, Italian, Spanish, and Thai. Notably, orders for Korean and Hindi have shown a gradual upward trend.

It is evident that the export market for medical devices is primarily concentrated in developed countries and regions, such as Europe and North America. This includes the North American market dominated by the United States, European countries led by Germany and France, and Asian countries represented by Japan and South Korea. Furthermore, the increase in translation orders from languages such as Thai indicates that Asian countries like India and Thailand are gradually emerging as new directions for market expansion.

This is primarily constrained by the global economic landscape, with demand in developed countries such as the United States declining due to inflation and economic instability. It is reported that in the first half of 2016, China exported medical devices to 223 countries and regions, with export value reaching US$9.9 billion, a year-on-year decrease of 2.1%. On the other hand, developing countries, mainly Thailand and India, are experiencing accelerated economic growth, and their healthcare systems have significant room for improvement, presenting considerable market potential.

Among existing translation orders in the healthcare industry, medical records and physical examination reports have continued to rise, accounting for 8% of total orders. This segment is primarily driven by two factors: first, as international exchanges deepen, healthcare institutions are seeing an increase in foreign patients, creating translation needs to provide more comprehensive external services and facilitate mutual information exchange; second, constrained by domestic medical resources and technology, many individuals are seeking advanced medical expertise and services abroad, leading to the gradual emergence of cross-border healthcare.

In case report translation orders, English, Japanese, Korean, and German account for 90%. This is primarily due to the advanced medical technologies in the United States and Europe, as well as the high level of medical expertise and quality healthcare services in Japan and South Korea. These countries have thus become the primary target markets for Chinese patients seeking cross-border medical care. Furthermore, customer feedback on translation orders indicates that language barriers remain the most significant communication obstacle in cross-border healthcare consumption. Consequently, demand is not only rising for written translation services but also continuing to grow for interpretation services, such as accompanying interpreters.

Among overall orders, translation requests from medical institutions and academic colleges and universities mainly focus on website translation, medical literature translation, and introductions to medical projects.

Data from translation orders handled by Yu Yi indicates that such demand is predominantly concentrated in the eastern coastal regions and major developed cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. Within Guangdong Province, translation requests mainly pertain to medical device product manuals and R&D documentation, with clients primarily consisting of private healthcare institutions and pharmaceutical enterprises. This trend is largely attributable to the relatively concentrated distribution of China’s electronics manufacturing industry, with Guangdong remaining a key hub for the medical hardware market.