Apply the UPL
At the core of the UPL are seven foundational principles and a collection of practical tools that guide the creation of patient communications. Click on a principle below to explore the tools associated with each principle.
There are four principles that are most applicable when planning:
Learning

Equip patients with the knowledge they need to help understand complex topics.

Present complete, relevant, and unbiased data in context.
Digital First

Consider how patients want to navigate and engage with information.
Empathy for Patients and Caregivers

Acknowledge the experiences of patients and their caregivers and establish an emotional connection.
4. Demonstrate Empathy for Patients and Caregivers

Acknowledge the experiences of patients and their caregivers and establish an emotional connection.
1. Enable Patient Learning

Equip patients with the knowledge they need to help understand complex topics.
2. Share Qualified, Quantified Data

Present complete, relevant, and unbiased data in context.
1. Enable
Patient
Learning

Equip patients with the knowledge they need to help understand complex topics.
2. Share Qualified, Quantified Data

Present complete, relevant, and unbiased data in context.
3. Design
for
Digital First

Consider how patients want to navigate and engage with information.
2. Share Qualified, Quantified Data

Present complete, relevant, and unbiased data in context.
3. Design
for
Digital First

Consider how patients want to navigate and engage with information.
4. Demonstrate Empathy for Patients and Caregivers

Acknowledge the experiences of patients and their caregivers and establish an emotional connection.
3. Design
for
Digital First

Consider how patients want to navigate and engage with information.
4. Demonstrate Empathy for Patients and Caregivers

Acknowledge the experiences of patients and their caregivers and establish an emotional connection.
1. Enable Patient Learning

Equip patients with the knowledge they need to help understand complex topics.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
The remaining three principles are most applicable when building:
for Understanding

Design layouts that are purposeful and can be easily navigated.
7. Format
Materials
for Understanding

Design layouts that are purposeful and can be easily navigated.
7. Format
Materials
for Understanding

Design layouts that are purposeful and can be easily navigated.
7. Format
Materials
for Understanding

Design layouts that are purposeful and can be easily navigated.
- 5
- 6
- 7
Principles

Principles guide the way we communicate with patients — both when planning communications
and when building them.
To learn more, download the complete set of
UPL Principles.
Tool Library
If you know the specific UPL tool that you’re looking for, download it below!
Guidance Documents
Guidance Documents contain tips and suggestions for applying the UPL. We created them to help the principles come to life in a more practical and tangible way.
Rules

The UPL Rules provide detailed guidance on how each of the Principles can be applied in practice.
Thought Starters for Explaining Selected Topics
The Thought Starters outline key challenges and learnings collected from dozens of interactions with patients, caregivers, healthcare providers, and other experts. They are a good starting point if you want to explain a specific complex topic to patients. Thought Starters can be downloaded individually by topic or all at once.
Download the Thought
Starters all at once.
Building Assets
Building Assets can be used directly in your materials. We created them for practitioners to use in their own UPL communications.
Assessment Tools
Assessment Tools can be used throughout the development of UPL communications. We created them to help people evaluate their communications.
Reflection Guide

The Reflection Guide provides questions that can be used to self-assess how materials incorporate the UPL and its Principles.
Guidance Documents
Guidance Documents contain tips and suggestions for applying the UPL. We created them to help the principles come to life in a more practical and tangible way.
View More
Rules

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

The UPL Style Guide offers detailed guidance on how
patient
materials created with UPL
should look and feel.
Thought Starters for Explaining Selected Topics
The Thought Starters outline key challenges and learnings collected from dozens of interactions with patients, caregivers, healthcare providers, and other experts. They are a good starting point if you want to explain a specific complex topic to patients. Thought Starters can be downloaded individually by topic or all at once.
Explaining Biological Processes

Explaining Data

Explaining Clinical Trials

Explaining Health-related
Finances

Explaining Risks and Benefits

Download the Thought
Starters all at once.
Building Assets
Building Assets can be used directly in your materials. We created them for practitioners to use in their own UPL communications.
View More
Assessment Tools
Assessment Tools can be used throughout the development of UPL communications. We created them to help people evaluate their communications.
View More
Reflection Guide

The Reflection Guide provides questions that can be used to self-assess how materials incorporate the UPL and its Principles.
© 2023 Bristol-Myers Squibb Company.
UNIVERSAL PATIENT LANGUAGE® and the UPL Logo are trademarks of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company.
BRIDGEABLE is a trademark of Cooler Solutions, Inc.
NO-US-2400114 04/2024
You are now leaving this Bristol-Myers Squibb site.
This Internet site may provide links or references to other sites. Bristol-Myers Squibb has no responsibility for the content of such other sites and is not liable for any damages or injury arising from that content. Any links to other sites are provided merely as a convenience to the users of this Internet site.
Would you like to leave this site?
This link is currently not available. Please check back at a later time.
Readiness Tags

Materials with this tag have been validated extensively, and significant changes will be infrequent.
Readiness Tags

Materials with this tag still have areas for improvement, and more resources will be added over time.
Readiness Tags

Materials with this tag contain some early work and may change significantly.