Japanese Medical Translation Case Study

At a glance

A pharmaceutical contracting company needed 44,629 words of patient consent forms — covering genetic research and pregnancy — translated from Japanese into English for use with patients and medical professionals. Absolute Translations assigned an experienced medical translator already familiar with the client's terminology, ran the translation through CAT-tool quality checks using dedicated translation memories and termbases, preserved the original document formatting, and delivered the certified translation within 18 working days, with no quality concerns raised after delivery.

Project detail	Information
Client type	Pharmaceutical contracting company (regular client)
Sector	Medical / Pharma — genetic research and pregnancy
Documents translated	Patient consent forms
Language pair	Japanese → English
Word count	44,629 words
Audience	Patients and medical professionals
Certification	Yes — client's own e-certificate completed
Formatting	Original source formatting retained
Translators involved	1 (kept consistent with prior projects for this client)
Turnaround	18 working days
Project completed	January 2026

A pharmaceutical contracting company, an existing regular client, needed a large volume of patient consent forms translated from Japanese into English, covering sensitive subject matter in genetic research and pregnancy. Because the forms would be read by both patients and medical professionals, the translation needed to be clear and accessible for patients while remaining precise enough for clinical and legal use. At 44,629 words, and with no reference material provided by the client, the accuracy risks around medical terminology and formatting for compliance had to be carefully managed across a genuinely large document set.

We clarified the project requirements and reviewed the source files to confirm they were complete, correctly opened, and free of corrupted data.
A technical assessment was carried out to establish the exact word count, identify non-translatable elements such as codes or brand names, and check for hidden text layers or embedded tables.
A standard four-option quote was generated from the final word count and sent to the client by email.
The project was created in our CAT tool and assigned to the client's preferred linguist — a highly experienced medical translator, kept consistent with previous projects for this client wherever possible.
Translation was carried out using Translation Memories and Termbases specific to the client, with the CAT tool's built-in QA and language checks running throughout.
A full quality assurance review was completed by the project manager, checking terminology, formatting, and technical references such as numbers, measurements, and codes.
A copy was delivered to the client for their own check before the final certified bundle, including the required certification, was delivered by email.

The completed translation was delivered within 18 working days, ahead of the agreed deadline, with no scheduling issues and no significant challenges during the project. The client raised no quality concerns after delivery — consistent with an ongoing relationship in which Absolute Translations has repeatedly met this client's quality and turnaround expectations, including on more urgent projects in the past.

If you need medical or pharmaceutical documents translated — consent forms, clinical materials, or other patient-facing content — this shows the level of care that goes into it. Absolute Translations assigns translators with genuine medical subject expertise, uses translation memories and termbases to keep terminology consistent across every project for a client, runs multiple layers of quality assurance, preserves your original formatting, and delivers certified translations that are ready for clinical and regulatory use.

Frequently asked questions

Do you have translators experienced in medical and pharmaceutical translation?

Yes. We assign medical translations to linguists with genuine subject expertise, selected for the specific type of content — patient-facing material, clinical documentation, or research and regulatory text — and their experience working with the intended audience, whether that's patients, medical professionals, or researchers. For regular clients, we aim to keep the same translator or team assigned to maintain consistency across every project.

How do you handle terminology consistency for large medical translation projects?

We build a dedicated Termbase and Translation Memory for each client within our CAT tool, capturing approved terminology as it's confirmed and reusing it on every subsequent project. This is combined with the CAT tool's built-in quality checks, which flag inconsistencies in terminology, numbers, measurements, and technical references automatically, alongside a manual review by the project manager before delivery.

Can you provide certified medical translations for patient or regulatory use?

Yes. Depending on what your organisation or the receiving authority requires, we can provide certified translations of medical and pharmaceutical documents, including patient consent forms, clinical materials, and regulatory documentation. Certification requirements vary by client and use case, so we confirm the exact format needed — including any client-specific certificate — as part of the quotation process.

How much does a medical translation project like this cost?

Medical and pharmaceutical translations are priced per word, with the rate depending on the language pair, the subject matter's technical complexity, and whether specialist certification is required — large projects like this are quoted individually based on the final word count. You can check our translation prices for our standard rates, or use our online quote tool to get pricing for your own documents.