Principle 8

Be Culturally Responsive

Resources to support you

Thought Starters

Explaining Biological Processes Explaining Data Explaining Clinical Trials Explaining Health-Related Finances Explaining Risks & Benefits

We believe that when we are culturally responsive, patients feel seen, respected, and supported, helping them engage more fully in their care.

Patients bring a wide range of cultural backgrounds, values, and beliefs, which influence how they interpret health information, how they talk about their condition, who they trust, and how they make decisions. We must be intentional in how we create content, honoring cultural perspectives, avoiding assumptions, and designing communications that resonate with each patient’s lived experience.

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UPL Rules

The UPL Rules provide detailed guidance on how each of the Principles can be applied in practice.

Below is a sample of rules pertaining to Be Culturally Responsive:

Rule 23. Remember that words, concepts, and colors can be interpreted differently depending on the socio-cultural background of patients.

Be mindful of inadvertently using words or phrases that might be off-putting or offensive to different cultural groups.
e.g., Avoid using sets of four when designing for those with Chinese or Japanese cultural backgrounds as this can be associated with death to them.
Patients from different cultural backgrounds may have different expectations around who is involved in medical decision-making. Be sensitive to the possibility of differences and don’t make assumptions.
Be mindful of how a color’s meaning may vary between different cultural groups.
e.g., In some Eastern cultures, red might represent good luck and prosperity, while in the West it can sometimes symbolize polarizing concepts of competition, vigor, and excitement, or aggression, warning, and danger.

Rule 24. Be aware of the holistic patient journey for your target audience and be sensitive to that when developing communications.

Be mindful of words that may take on different meanings for patients at different points in their journey.
e.g., A man undergoing treatment for prostate cancer may associate ‘digital’ with ‘digital rectal exams’ rather than an online resource.
Be mindful of the reader’s state of mind and adjust your tone accordingly.
e.g., Are they recently diagnosed and potentially feeling overwhelmed? Are they hopeful about a potential new treatment? Are they on the path to recovery?

Rule 28. Be mindful of how the human form, gender, ethnicity and race, and appearance are assigned and represented visually.

Acknowledge age, gender, and ethnic diversity when representing people.
Be sensitive to representations of the “average” family structure, body physique, patient profile, and other characterizations.
Include identifiable details and characteristics when they are necessary for supporting the message. Abstract the human figure where gender and ethnicity are not meaningful or significant.

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UPL Style Guide

The Style Guide offers detailed guidance on how patient and caregiver materials created with UPL should look and feel while also considering accessibility.

Style Guide topic examples related to Be Culturally Responsive include:

Writing

Writing in UPL goes beyond using plain language. Patient communications should be conversational and human. They should be written for the patient, by a real person. Write to educate by being helpful and fostering learning, without coming across as condescending. When you anticipate what patients may be going through, what they may want to learn about, and what phrases they have been using with their physicians, you connect with readers and enable them to quickly see why the materials matter to them.

Photography

If using photos, ensure subjects represent a diverse range of people with respect to race, ethnicity, sex, gender, age, and disability. Strive for a range of facial expressions, as some patients may fnd overly positive expressions difcult to relate to.