Improving healthcare translation by using bilingual professionals to edit machine translations
Official title: Lowering the burden of medical translation by enabling international healthcare professionals as human editors of machine translations
Funded at Transcendent International, LLC · NIH-10838505 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is working to improve how medical information is translated for patients who don't speak English well by using a mix of computer translations and help from bilingual healthcare workers, and if you join in, you'll also get access to helpful Medical English courses!
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Transcendent International, LLC NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | September 26, 2022 |
| Project end | December 31, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $707,089 |
| NIH project number | 5R44MD018266-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-10838505 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are patients with limited English proficiency who require access to accurate healthcare information.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are fluent in English or do not require translated healthcare materials may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research aims to enhance the accuracy of healthcare translations for patients with limited English proficiency by combining machine translation with human editing. It will develop a platform that allows bilingual healthcare professionals to review and correct machine-generated translations of medical documents. By leveraging the expertise of these professionals, the project seeks to ensure that critical healthcare information is accurately conveyed to patients. Participants will also receive access to Medical English eLearning courses as an incentive for their contributions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could significantly improve the quality of healthcare information available to non-English speaking patients, leading to better health outcomes.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that combining machine translation with human editing can improve translation accuracy, indicating that this approach has potential for success.
Where this research is happening
-
Transcendent International, LLC
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Riestenberg, Katherine — Transcendent International, LLC
- Study coordinator: Riestenberg, Katherine
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.