Urgent Translation Requests
An urgent translation would be an unforeseen situation that poses a risk to the health and safety of the public or that requires immediate action.
Examples include communication (advisories, correspondence, signage, media releases) related to an outbreak situation or an infectious disease, a critical incident, an unplanned closure of a facility or an emergency department, etc.
REQUESTS SUBMITTED AT THE LAST MINUTE ARE NOT CONSIDERED URGENT.
These trigger rush rates, which the Translation Network is unable to support except as described above. HSPs are encouraged to consider the translation process early in their planning and to advise us ahead of time of upcoming time-sensitive projects.
Please check the pertinent box below if you feel your request is urgent. The Translation Network will determine if it is able to accommodate your request and will get back to you in a timely manner.
Translation Instructions
- Provide existing official French titles and names (or indicate if they have never been translated).
- Explain any abbreviations and acronyms.
- Contact the Translation Network ahead of time to discuss time-sensitive projects and large projects.
- Do not send any material for translation that contains personal health information (PHI) or personal information (PI).
- Provide material in a supported file format: Word, PowerPoint, Excel. If available, also provide creative files in PDF format.
- For short requests (50 words or less), the text may be entered directly into the form.
- If translations are reformatted, they should be returned to us for proofreading.
Translation Service Terms
- Services are restricted to eligible HSPs.
- Material must have been created by the HSP.
- Material must not contain personal health information (PHI) or personal information (PI).
- Material protected by copyright cannot be translated without written permission from copyright holder.
- Materials provided in French should be of equal quality to those offered in English.
- Documents translated through our services cannot be sold for profit.
Translation Network Guidelines
AI Translation Tools
The Translation Network strongly discourages the use of AI translation tools for translation of your resources into French. Eligible HSPs are encouraged to have material translated, free of charge, through the Translation Network.
Rationale:
- Ensuring patient safety requires clear, accurate communication. The Translation Network is increasingly concerned about the rise of AI translation tools, as even small errors in healthcare can cause misunderstandings, poor decisions, or harmful outcomes for patients.
- Online tools may provide quick translation, but they can create operational challenges, added costs, safety risks, and significant confidentiality concerns, as data entered may be stored or reused. No translation tool matches the precision, nuance, or contextual understanding of trained human translators. Use of such tools can lead to errors and result in inaccurate and unreliable translations.
- Professional translators ensure accuracy, clarity, and cultural relevance—elements that AI alone cannot guarantee.
- Using AI translation tools instead of professional translation services can harm relationships you have worked hard to build with your Francophone patients and communities.
The Translation Network recognizes that these tools may be useful in certain situations, particularly where information is required for reference purposes only. Translations produced using AI tools should be used for internal purposes only.
Any translation produced using AI requires postediting (review and correction) by a professional translator. The Translation Network does not provide this service.