What Are the English to Spanish Translation Methods Used on Written Health-Related Information?

Abstract

Objective: This systematic review was conducted to examine methods and tools used to translate written health-related information from English to Spanish. Methods: The design of this study was a systematic review. This review search was of all published articles up to July 2022. Three databases were used: CINAHL Plus, MEDLINE, and PubMed. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis flowchart was used in the systematic review. Results: A total of 17 articles were used in the analysis. Six (35.3%) of the articles used a machine and human translation method, and eight (47%) used Google Translate as the machine translation tool. The screening, full-text review, and data extraction were done using the Covidence software. Discussions: As translating health-related information accurately is crucial, using metrics or standardizing one is urgently needed. Nursing implications: This review highlights that in addition to a lack of standardized metrics, there currently is no criterion on the qualifications or credentials required by individuals who translate written information from English to Spanish, allowing anyone to do so. This is concerning because it is critical that Spanish speakers and those with limited English proficiency receive linguistically accurate and appropriate resources that allow them to improve their health literacy and promote health.