A diagnosis can change everything in a moment. And in that same moment, patients and caregivers are often asked to absorb unfamiliar terms, weigh important decisions and figure out what comes next.
Each October, Health Literacy Month reinforces that how we communicate can be just as important as the information itself. At Bristol Myers Squibb, the Universal Patient Language® (UPL) program is our approach to creating health communications tools and best practices that are clear, empathetic and culturally responsible.
It’s been more than a decade since we launched UPL, and this initiative continues to evolve through our ongoing co-creation workshops with patients, caregivers and advocates.
Over the last year, three learnings stand out, and may add value beyond any one program or organization. By sharing them, we hope to contribute to a broader community working towards the same goal: helping more people understand health information and participate more fully in their care decisions.
1. AI can strengthen health communication, but human empathy remains essential
For organizations working to advance health literacy, artificial intelligence (AI) presents a meaningful opportunity to accelerate reach and understanding.
At BMS, UPL experts partnered with our colleagues in Information Technology to create an AI tool that flags complex language, suggests clearer alternatives and reinforces health literacy best practices earlier in the content development process. This tool is now available to every content creator at BMS.
While we support ethical use of AI to advance health literacy, the most effective health communication still depends on people.
Patients and caregivers bring lived experience. Advocacy organizations bring deep community knowledge. Those who create health information content bring empathy, judgment and an understanding of the emotional realities people face when making health decisions.
Together, those perspectives can result in scalable content that is easier to understand, without losing the value that makes it worth reading.
2. Caregivers have their own information needs
Health information is often designed primarily with the patient in mind. Yet caregivers or care partners frequently help interpret information, manage or attend appointments, coordinate care and support treatment decisions. It is also important to consider that a carer isn’t always a family member. Sometimes it is a neighbor, a friend or someone from a faith-based group.
A lesson emerging from UPL is that effective communication should acknowledge caregivers as active partners in care. That means considering their questions, responsibilities, emotional experiences, and information needs.
As organizations develop educational materials, websites and support resources, these are important questions to ask:
- Would a caregiver feel this information was designed with them as the main audience in mind?
- Does my content support caregivers as active participants in healthcare conversations and decisions?
- Is this an opportunity to equip caregivers with practical information and actionable next steps for both their own journey, and their loved ones?
Recognizing caregivers as a distinct audience can help create communications that are more practical, inclusive and ultimately more useful for everyone involved in a patient's care journey.
