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25 Feb The importance of medical translation for a nutrition clinic

Despite the evidence that actions such as changing diet have almost immediate effects on our health, nutrition is not a domain well studied or discussed by clinicians; at least, seldom with their patients.

However, nutrition-related health conditions or poor nutritional intake are well extended, even in developed countries. This means that only about 12% of the people who need nutrition guidance search counselling in a nutrition clinic.

Most of the clients of a nutrition clinic are interested on losing weight not only due to esthetic reasons by also due to health problems. As it is well-known, overweight increases the risk of suffering many diseases, such as, an increased risk of hypertension, cholesterol problems and diabetes.

Other patients come to a nutrition clinic because they already have a disease and they need an especial diet, as in the case of high-risk patients with diabetes, perlipidemia or CVD. There is also a portion of patients that have survived dangerous diseases and have a different perception of the value of health and the importance of diet.

The Global Burden of Disease Study, the largest study on diseases, accidents and life expectancy conducted to date, showed that diet is the risk factor that causes more deaths and disabilities in the developed world. This type of studies help to expand the message and more and more people, each day, are interested in following a healthy diet.

In this sense, everything points to an increase in the demand of dietetics and nutrition counselors. In the same sense, nutrition clinics will be demanding more medical translations.

Medical documents

Some of the cases in which medical translation are needed in can be when it has foreign patients or patients travelling abroad. In both cases, offering them an extra service related to linguistics can go a long way, as it is very probable that some kind of medical documents concerning the patients need medical translation. Therefore, been able to offer them, will just make your patients’ life easier.

Nutrition information

Another interesting possibility for a nutrition clinic is to offer its patients different kinds of nutritional information, including famous studies, in different languages. The nutrition field is constantly changing, and having nutrition clinic wants its clients to be on top of it. It can even recommend or sell books, podcasts… in the client’s’ mother tongue.

Medical check

Any patient coming to a nutrition clinic will be required a medical check. This document will be essential for knowing detailed information such as the blood pressure, the level of cholesterol, any iron blood deficiency… and client might also want its medical translation.

On the other hand, it is also very interesting to compare the patients’ evolution and knowing all the previous data. But, if the clients are people from a foreign country, all the information related to them will be issued by a healthcare centre in another language. So, and medical translation of previous checks or medical documents can be key.

Nutritional plan

Clients will also need a nutrition plan, and its translation, in case they are foreigners or they do not speak the local language well, might a must. Dietary modification remains key, especially to successful weight loss. According to the DIETFITS Randomized Clinical Trial, contrary to previous research, suggest that neither genotype pattern nor baseline insulin secretion is associated with the dietary effects on weight loss.

The American Heart Association insists on the importance of reducing unhealthy fats, foods with a lot of cholesterol, sodium and added sugars in diet; and prioritize foods rich in fiber and lean protein, as well as fruits and vegetables.

Intolerances and allergies

If patients have any intolerance or allergy to a certain food, it would be better to prevent any risk when travelling abroad. Lactose, nut or gluten are some of the most common, but not the only ones. So, offer them a medical translation of a list of foods that they should not eat before going to a foreign country. Health is at stake.

Diets

As a nutritionist, you should have probably recommended your patients a list of foods that they can and they cannot eat for maintaining a balanced diet, or even an explanatory note. Can they eat red meat? What about fats and sugars? How should they cook the vegetables?

This is a simple document, but, if patients travel abroad, it will be wise to provide them with a medical translation of such document into the language of the country they are visiting. It is very useful as it will eliminate any linguistic barrier for keeping on the balanced diet, especially when eating in a restaurant, because they will just have to show the medical translation.

These extra services will be very beneficial for your nutrition clinic. And you just need to offer a medical translation. Simple and effective.