Oftentimes, Spanish doesn’t translate literally; the language has lots of nuances that make direct translation difficult. Even the best online translator on the internet, DeepL Translate, can get things wrong. This is especially true in a medical setting.
What’s more, machines don’t have soft skills…their translations can come across as too direct or too strong. Marketing to someone is a human endeavor…people trust people over machines, especially when they’re communicating in a foreign language.
It’s important to note that patients often find themselves in a medical setting because something is wrong with them. As such, you need to delegate Hispanic patient communication to an empathetic human being who has a mastery of both English and Spanish. You certainly don’t want to delegate it to a cold, heartless machine.
That’s why it’s imperative for healthcare providers to hire bilingual staff. While translation tools can be quite useful for quick interpretations of phrases or even translations of short documents, it’s important to have at least one bilingual human on staff. You need someone who understands the nuances of both English and Spanish and has the soft skills to speak with patients in a calm, respectful manner.
It’s important to remember that a patient’s first impressions of your practice are through your marketing and intake process. These are the domains of caring, native Spanish speakers Hispanics can trust.