DITA plays a significant role in facilitating the localization and translation of medical documentation for global markets. The structure and features of DITA XML make it well-suited for managing multilingual content. Here’s how DITA supports this process:

1. Content Reuse: DITA promotes the creation of modular, reusable content components. When preparing documentation for localization, you can leverage these components, translating and adapting them as needed. Instead of translating the entire document from scratch, you only need to translate the unique or modified content, reducing time and costs. This ensures consistency across languages and simplifies updates across multiple versions.

2. Variables: DITA allows the use of variables for text that remains the same across various documents and languages. Variables make it easier to manage consistent terminology and phrases. Translators can work with a defined set of variables, streamlining the translation process and ensuring that terminology remains consistent across all language versions.

Example:

In the following DITA example, variables are used to manage the term “Medical Device” in different languages:

<!-- Example: Using Variables for Localization -->
<section>
  <title>Regulations for <ph><var><val>Medical Device</val><val>Dispositif Médical</val></var></ph></title>
  <p>This section discusses regulations for <ph><var><val>Medical Device</val><val>Dispositif Médical</val></var></ph>.</p>

In this example, the variable <var><val>Medical Device</val><val>Dispositif Médical</val></var> allows you to manage the term “Medical Device” in English and “Dispositif Médical” in French, streamlining localization efforts.

3. Conditional Text: DITA’s conditional processing features can help manage content that is specific to certain regions or markets. By using conditions, you can include or exclude content as needed for each language or market variant, ensuring that the right information is presented in the right context.