Documenting consultations held in Arabic and English
Many clinics talk to owners in one language and keep records in another. A few practical choices make that easier.
Veteros team · · 3 min read
This article is pending editorial and veterinary review before publication.
In many clinics the conversation moves between Arabic and English, sometimes in the same sentence, while the medical record is kept in one language. That is normal, and it works best when the clinic decides a few things on purpose.
Decide the record language
Pick the language your clinical record is kept in and apply it consistently, whatever language the consultation was in. Colleagues, referral practices and your future self will read it.
Write owner documents in the owner’s language
Discharge instructions and visit summaries are for the owner. Writing them in the language the owner is most comfortable with is part of making them useful.
Review mixed-language drafts with extra care
- Check drug and product names, which are often said in English
- Check numbers and units, which may be spoken in either language
- Check that nothing said in one language was dropped from the note
Transcription of mixed-language speech is still harder than single-language speech for any system, so the review step matters more here, not less.
Try documentation with the AI Scribe
Sign up free and try Veteros on your own consultations.
