Over the past 15 years, medical translation has undergone a dramatic transformation, with technological advances fundamentally reshaping language quality assurance (LQA) processes. This presentation offers an in-depth exploration of how translation errors have evolved from manual translation to machine translation and now to AI-assisted approaches.

Drawing from extensive professional experience, the talk will trace the changing landscape of medical translation quality assurance. Participants will gain insights into the shifting error typologies across different technological eras, from unpredictable human-generated mistakes to systematic machine translation errors, and now to the complex, context-dependent challenges presented by AI translation.

The presentation will critically examine how translation professionals can adapt to these technological changes, maintaining the highest standards of accuracy in healthcare communication. By analysing the evolution of translation errors and quality assessment strategies, the talk will provide practical insights for medical translators navigating the increasingly sophisticated world of language technology.

Speaker: Mercedes Pacheco (United Kingdom)

Mercedes Pacheco is a highly experienced English to Spanish medical translator and interpreter with over 28 years of specialized expertise. Her professional focus spans critical domains including life sciences, medical devices, clinical protocols, product information, IT, e-learning, and marketing communications.

A Qualified Member of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI), Mercedes serves as Deputy Coordinator of the ITI Medical & Pharmaceutical Network. She is an active participant in the ITI Spanish and Scottish Networks, and a member of the ITI Interpreters’ Development Network and the International Association of Professional Translators and Interpreters (IAPTI).

Her academic credentials include a BA in English Philology from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, a Diploma in Translation from UNED, and a Diploma in Simultaneous and Consecutive Interpretation from Estudio Sampere, Escuela de Traductores e Intérpretes.

In 2020, Mercedes relocated from Spain to Glasgow and founded MPR MEDICAL TRANSLATOR LTD. Beyond her translation and interpretation work, she is committed to knowledge sharing through workshops, talks, and teaching medical translation.