Originally published on BMS.com in recognition of Health Literacy Month, the following article highlights how Bristol Myers Squibb’s Universal Patient Language (UPL) program is advancing clearer, more compassionate and empowering health communication.
At Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), we believe that how we communicate can be just as important as what we’re communicating — especially when it comes to people’s health.
Patients often encounter a flood of information along their medical care journey — some of it helpful, much of it overwhelming. Whether they’re reading an educational article online, flipping through a brochure in a waiting room or navigating an informed consent form with their caregiver, the stakes are high and the language is often dense. For many, this creates stress, confusion and hesitation at the very moments when clarity is most needed.
For the past ten years, our Universal Patient Language (UPL) program has worked to make health communication clearer, more empathetic and empowering — removing the barriers that prevent patients from understanding, trusting and acting on the information they’re given.
Why this matters now
Health literacy is more than a communication issue; it’s a public health imperative. Nearly 9 in 10 U.S. adults struggle to understand and use everyday health information.1 The consequences are staggering: up to 1 million preventable hospital visits each year, $25 billion in avoidable costs and an annual national burden estimated as high as $238 billion.1,2
“This isn’t just about readability, it’s about responsibility. Universal Patient Language helps us meet patients where they are, at a time when their worlds have been disrupted and clarity is essential. That’s central to how we build equity and earn trust. The clearer we are, the better we serve.”
– Andrew Whitehead, vice president and head of Population Health, Bristol Myers Squibb
As the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said: “Accurate, accessible and actionable communication is foundational to patient understanding and decisions – and ultimately to prevention and better outcomes.”3
That’s exactly what UPL aims to deliver.
From toolkit to transformation
What began as a set of communications principles has evolved into an enterprise-wide capability and a driver of meaningful change. Supported by our Global Purpose & Patient Experience team (GP&PE), UPL is now integrated across the entire organization. It’s also backed by a growing community of internal champions within BMS and a comprehensive set of shared tools, including our AI-assisted writing guide and a Cultural Adaptation Toolkit.
This transformation, embedding UPL into everything we do, allows us to drive our efforts to put health in every hand by driving understanding for every patient, no matter who they are, where they live or what they have. UPL, at its core, is anchored to our fundamental belief that every person deserves the opportunity to live a healthy, fulfilling life.
A patient-centered collaboration in action
As UPL continues to evolve, we have been engaging directly with patients to help us test what works, uncover what’s missing and bring clarity into the moments that matter most.
One recent illustration of these collaborations comes from the UPL program’s work with our Patient Engagement & Recruitment team. Together, they reimagined the core recruitment materials for a recent clinical trial — including the outreach letter, study brochure and visit guide — with a focus on women living with triple-negative breast cancer.
Using UPL principles, these materials were transformed to be clearer, more culturally responsive and emotionally resonant — ensuring the tone, visuals and message would feel personal and empowering.
What patients told us
After the content was revised, it was brought back to patients to gather feedback and understand how the changes landed. They were asked whether they felt more informed, confident and respected and their voices affirmed the shift which shaped our path forward.
Direct patient feedback showed consistent improvement across three dimensions: understanding, confidence and trust. One patient, Atiba, summed it up powerfully:
“I see the thoughtfulness and keeping the ‘human part’ in the conversation. The first review, I could tell people with a scientific background wrote it, but in the second review, I could tell you were talking to me.”
Others shared how important it was to see themselves reflected in the imagery and tone. Carol noted:
“Everything in that moment is already a whirlwind. Bring it in, make it concise, make it understandable. This is the first step to healing.”
Even across a small sample of interviews, the impact was clear: patients felt more informed, more respected and ready to act.
Where we’re headed next
Looking to the future, BMS plans to invest in tools and teams that help patients understand what’s possible. Because when people understand their choices, they can take part in them. When language includes them, it empowers them.
“At BMS, we believe that patient-centricity is part of our business model. When we make health information understandable, we do more than improve communication. We build trust, empower action and bring science to life in a way that meets people where they are and moves them toward healing.”
– Jasmine Greenamyer, vice president, Global Purpose & Patient Experience, Bristol Myers Squibb
That’s the heart of UPL – access, trust and empowerment. It’s how we accelerate helping innovative medicines reach the people who need them, faster and with the compassion, understanding and trust they deserve. To learn more and explore BMS’ open-source UPL tools, visit UPL.org.
1US Department of Health and Human Services, US Center of Disease Control and Prevention. Talking Points About Health Literacy:
https://www.cdc.gov/health-literacy/php/about/tell-others.html?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/healthliteracy/shareinteract/TellOthers.html
2Vernon, J.A., Trujillo, A., Rosenbaum, S., & DeBuono, B. Low Health Literacy: Implications for National Health Policy. University of Connecticut and New America Foundation, 2007. Accessed via Alabama Department of Public Health. https://www.alabamapublichealth.gov/alphtn/assets/092017lowhealthliteracy.pdf
3Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). CDC’s Plan for Health Literacy. https://www.cdc.gov/health-literacy/php/develop-plan/cdc-plan.html
