From the manufacturing sector, the corporate world, to healthcare, every industry is subject to a technological transition. Every day new and innovative hi-tech solutions are introduced that add a high level of convenience in our lives. With so many options in the market, the process of choosing the best language services provider gets overwhelming, especially for healthcare facilities. The needs are specific and the risks are high. 

Here is a comprehensive guide that can help you choose the most reliable language services vendor.

Area of Expertise

The translation companies offer services for all sectors, but when it comes to choosing a service for sensitive areas such as healthcare, choosing an industry-specific company is crucial. Not all translation companies or interpreters can provide medical interpretation and translation services. When choosing a language services vendor, make sure you adopt an industry-specific approach.

Reputation and Reviews

The next important factor of consideration in choosing the right language services provider is the reputation. Researching about the number of satisfied customers contribute significantly to the process of selection. You can find out about satisfied customers online. The reviews and ratings help in evaluating whether a service provider is a reliable option or not.

Types of Services

The third and most crucial factor that can help you make the right decision is the type of services you need. Not all language services vendors provide both quality interpretation and translation services.

Here is how you can evaluate a company based on the services they offer: 

On-site Interpreting

When choosing an on-site interpreting service provider, you need to take into consideration several crucial factors. The waiting time to place a request for service, the convenience of placing an order, pace of response to a request, the languages supported by the company, and their fill-rate are the factors that are vital to look at. A need for an on-site interpreter can arise any time in a healthcare facility, the vendor you are choosing must offer their services all around the clock for 365 days

• How long does your staff have to wait on the phone to place an order?
• Can your staff log in and place an order electronically
• Can your staff get a quick confirmation that they have placed an order
• Can your vendor provide all languages including American Sign Language (ASL)?
• What is your present vendor’s fill rate? (fill rate = number of assignments fulfilled divided by total requests)
• What is your present vendor’s immediate request fill rate?
• What is your present vendor’s immediate request response time?
• Can your present vendor provide real time usage data?
• Are the interpreters provided professional, courteous, and knowledgeable?
• Is the service available 24/7/365

Over-the-Phone and Video Remote Interpreting

The most important factor that you need to look at when choosing an over-the-phone interpreting service is the waiting time to avail of the service. You need to ensure that it does not take more than five minutes for an interpreter to appear on the line. The next essential factor is the degree of accessibility and the capability of a vendor to offer real-time usage data. The last factor is the availability of services. A reliable service is the one that is available for 24 hours for 365 days.

• How long do you wait before an interpreter appears on the line?
• Is the service easy to access
• Can your vendor provide you with real time usage data?
• Is the service available 24/7/365?

Document Translation

The factors that will help you determine if the document translation service offered are reliable or not include whether they are offering quotes on a per-project basis, how quick the company is in providing the quotes. In addition to this, a company that keeps the clients in the loop throughout the process and provides a project flow chart.

• Quotes are provided on a per project basis
• Quotes are provided within 24 hours of request
• Delivery of translation should be in line with timeline proposed in quote. 
• Ask to see the translation process (a good vendor can provide the project flow chart)
• Can the translation workflow take into account confidential information?

Conclusion 

Choosing the right language services vendor is crucial to the healthcare sector. These services determine the quality of patient care. When a healthcare facility chooses a reliable industry-specific language services vendor, it elevates the quality of their patient care!