ZS partners with clients, suppliers and communities worldwide to advance health equity and improve outcomes through accessible, inclusive communication. In collaboration with AstraZeneca, we’re helping develop and globalize Universal Language Standards, a framework that helps healthcare providers explain complex medical information in ways patients can understand.

Addressing barriers to care through language

Social, economic, educational and physical differences can impact how patients experience the healthcare system. Miscommunication between patients and providers often leads to poor outcomes and avoidable health disparities.

To reduce these barriers, ZS and AstraZeneca are scaling the Universal Language Standards globally, adapting them for cultural nuances in countries including Germany, Japan, Spain, Mexico and Canada. Originally launched by AstraZeneca in 2019 and expanded in 2021 to include health literacy, the standards aim to ensure information is clear, relevant and accessible to diverse populations.

Bringing a global lens to patient-centered communication

“We expanded the language guidelines to reflect cultural and linguistic expectations outside the U.S.,” says Linda Liao, a strategy insights and planning consultant at ZS.

“For example, in Japan, healthcare providers are expected to use formal language when speaking with elderly patients. We added that guidance to ensure respectful and appropriate communication.”

Based on U.S. research, the original standards were written at a sixth-grade reading level. As ZS expanded the framework globally, the team assessed international reading levels and cultural variations.

“In Japanese,” Linda explains, “there are three written character sets—hiragana, katakana and kanji. Since kanji is harder to read, our guidelines recommend using it less frequently.”

Making medical information easier to understand

ZS also developed a patient-friendly medical thesaurus. The tool translates clinical terms into everyday language. For instance, “stomach pain” is used instead of “abdominal pain,” and “nurse” or “doctor” instead of “healthcare provider.”

“People often receive more health information than they can absorb during a short appointment,” Linda says. “Many also go online and find resources that are not written for patients. This information is critical to their lives—it must be accessible.”

Driving impact through inclusive language and global health literacy

ZS is proud to support AstraZeneca in creating communication tools that prioritize health literacy, equity and better outcomes for all patients.

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