Google Translate mostly accurate in test with patient instructions

A woman holds her smart phone which displays the Google home page, in this picture illustration taken February 24, 2016. France is seeking 1.6 billion euros ($1.76 billion) in back taxes from U.S. Internet giant Google, criticised for its use of aggressive tax optimisation techniques, a source at the finance ministry said on Wednesday. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard/Illustration

In hospitals that serve multicultural areas, doctors are increasingly looking for ways to translate their discharge instructions into languages they don't speak. A new study finds that Google Translate may be up to the job – with some caveats. 

Researchers examining 100 sets of emergency room patient discharge instructions converted into Spanish and Chinese from English by Google Translate determined there were very few significant errors. In one case, however, the translation could have led to a life-threatening medication error, they report in JAMA Internal Medicine.