Lift our heads, should we trust Google translator for health instructions?

Spain does not stand out for its expertise for languages, specifically for English.It is true that more and more young people go to applications to learn other languages and improve those studying at school.It is also true that the reality of online translators helps solve the most basic translation needs.But it is also true that the figures are still stubborn: the Spaniards have a low level of English.The population between 25 and 34 years, according to the data collected by Eurostat, are very delayed in relation to our Portuguese, Italian and Greek neighbors.Among the reasons with which it is intended to justify this lack, the strength of Spanish in the world, fourth language in number of speakers, which are close to 600 million.This power allows the existence of an important translation industry (publications) and dubbing (series and films).In the end the ear of the Spaniards has not had the opportunity to get used to the sound of other languages.

On March 5, the scientific journal of General Internal Medicine published a study by four American researchers on the utility and precision of Google Translate - the translator of the technological giant - in the emergency services of hospitals that do not have performers of interpreters ofThe main languages.The experiment was conducted in Los Angeles (EE.UU.) and seeks to assess whether you can trust the Google translator when health managers have to give medical discharge in the emergency area.In the study it has been evaluated whether automatic Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Tagalo, Korean, Armenian and Farsi translations were adequate.In the conclusions it is ensured that the highest precision rate was the Spanish translation.

However, the study authors have concluded that the Google translator is not entirely reliable in appointments for reviews and instructions on medicines and diagnosis.In the US.UU.There is a sanitary digital gap between centers that have telephone interpreters and those that have to pull the online translator.In fact, Google Translate - service that more than 200 million people use daily and that already incorporates 108 languages - is the most used method in emergency services for certain indications.

Levanta la Cabeza ¿Nos debemos fiar del traductor de Google para instrucciones sanitarias?

Confuse the patient

In 2014, another study revealed that the Google translator only had a 57 % accuracy in medical phrases, a percentage that has improved with the new updates that have been incorporated into the last five years.In Spanish translation there was a 94 % precision, but in the Armenian it barely exceeded 55 %.In this new study, 400 medical instructions have been analyzed and although Spanish and Chinese are the best translated languages by Google, there are still inaccuracies that can be at risk for patients. El estudio pone el ejemplo de una frase en inglés que traducida al chino puede confundir al paciente medicado con Coumadin, un fármaco anticoagulante: “Su nivel de Coumadin era demasiado alto hoy.Do not take more couumadin until your doctor reviews the results "was translated into Chinese in this way:" His soy level was too high today.Do not take more soy until your doctor reviews the results ".The problem with medical information, with names of diseases and medications, is that the machine can make the error of not contextualizing the conversation and not performing a professional translation.

We leave you below some free translation applications that you can try and compare with the Google system:

DEPL.Specialized in translating from English to Spanish, this German tool created in 2017 uses artificial intelligence techniques with deep learning.Distinguishes between American and British English.

LEXICOOL.This translator developed in France, with more than one decade in operation, allows to compare the interpretations made by the best known free tools (Google, Microsoft, Yandex ...).It is administered by linguists, translators and performers.

Tradukka.Automatic translation in real time while entering the text.With half a hundred languages in its catalog, it also allows you to listen to the translation in audio.

Cambridge.Translate texts with a maximum of 160 characters and up to 2.000 daily words.The interesting thing is that it has a link with the Cambridge Dictionary, the most popular among students.

Yandex.Is theRussian bet.Created in 2011, this free tool can translate texts into 96 languages.In 2017 it incorporated an automatic neuronal translation system.Also translates audios and videos.One of its most curious contributions is that it translates into Sindarin, artificial language invented by J.R.R.Tolkien, and emoji language.