Resources

Communications best practices

The following guidelines are meant to help you write for the web, but the basic principles apply to all forms of communication. 

Be concise

On average, web users read only 20 percent of the words on a page. Think "scanner" not "reader".

• Use short paragraphs with one or two ideas 
• Do not copy/paste from print items to put on a website, edit the material 

Try cutting a long page of text in half. Then try it again.

Example:

Here is an example of editing your word count from 24 to 8:

• Volunteers at University Faculty Housing Service render a useful service to new and visiting university faculty and staff requiring short or long-term housing.   (24)
• The University Faculty Housing Service helps new and visiting faculty and staff find housing.   (14)
• We help new and visiting faculty and staff find housing.  (10)
• New to Seattle? We’ll help you find housing.  (8)

Use headers and bullets

Headers

• Break up blocks of text
• Help readers find sections of the page that are most interesting to them
• Make the page visually approachable

Read more about using headers and their importance

Bullets

• Make it easier for the user to scan
• Create white space on the page
• Make your copy shorter
• Keep related items together 

Use images

• Images + text increase comprehension by 400 percent
• Articles with supporting images get 94 percent more views 

Put your most important information first

• Put the most critical information in the first sentence
• Add supporting information
• Add background information

3-30-3 rule

Expect that your audience will:

• Make a 3-second scan of the titles, teaser headlines, images
• Take 30-seconds to read sub-headings, bullets, first sentences, call-out boxes
• Spend no more than 3-minutes reading deeper into the content

Be clear and direct

• Use common words and plain language
• Avoid unnecessary description
• Avoid jargon, metaphor, hyperbole
• Avoid the passive voice, use active words  - e.g. Dr. X gave a gift (active) vs. A gift was given by Dr. X (passive)

Back it up

• Show, don't tell
• Use examples
• Provide evidence to support your claims

Proper use of link text

Use links to send readers to other pages of your site to get more information.

When you add a link to your pages, always use the natural language of your text as the link, rather than inserting “click here” or the full URL. The link text should describe the link destination.

Among the many reasons to write good link text, this makes it easy for users to scan pages for information, especially users employing screen readers.

Good version, using natural language:

We offer a variety of fellowship training opportunities in our 13 subspecialty divisions.

Bad version, using “click here”:

Click here for information about our fellowship training programs.

Worst version, using the full URL:

For information about our fellowship training programs, go to this page: https://medicine.uw.edu/education/fellows/programs-by-specialty.

Brand resources 

Links to UW and UW Medicine Brand resources are found on our intranet. 

 

DOM Week

Subscribe to our weekly email newsletter to stay connected to your colleagues and to what is happening in the department. 

 

Get help

Office of the Ombud

This office addresses common faculty concerns, such as:

• Peer harassment
• Faculty evaluations
• Merit review
• Salary inequity
• Academic procedures
• Quality of instruction
• Scientific misconduct
• Space/resource allocations

 

Bias reporting tool

The Bias Incident Reporting Tool, created and maintained by the UW Medicine Bias Response Team, offers a mechanism for all community members to safely report incidences of bias and misconduct and to receive a clear and streamlined response.

 

Peer to peer program

The UW Medicine Peer to Peer Program is designed to provide a supportive listener after a stressful event or when the job feels overwhelming. Any care team member can access one on one support from a colleague in their field – a trained peer supporter.

 

Safe Campus

Preventing violence is a shared responsibility in which everyone at the UW plays a part. The SafeCampus website provides information on counseling and safety resources, University policies, and violence reporting requirements that help us maintain a safe personal, work, and learning environment.

 

UW CareLink

UW CareLink offers a wide range of services that can help you manage through the different stages of life, develop a healthy lifestyle, create a quality work environment, and save time by providing easy access to trusted experts, including counselors, attorneys, financial advisors, and child and adult/elder care consultants.

 

UCIRO

The University Complaint Investigation and Resolution Office (UCIRO) investigates complaints that a University employee has violated the University’s non-discrimination and/or non-retaliation policies.

 

Washington Physicians Health Program

Since 1986, the Washington Physicians Health Program (WPHP) has assisted with the recovery and return to work of thousands of healthcare providers. WPHP offers services to healthcare providers who have a medical condition that could impact their clinical performance. These services include general outreach, crisis intervention, informal assessment, treatment monitoring, and support for providers who need help. WPHP believes that early intervention and evaluation offer the best opportunity for a successful outcome and help to protect patient safety.

Outside professional work for compensation

Under certain circumstances and with prior authorization, UW employees may provide outside professional work for compensation.

Parking at UW

The closest gatehouse to the University of Washington Medical Center (UWMC) is the south gatehouse, located on Columbia Road, behind UWMC.

Parking lots

A lot will be assigned to you when you purchase a parking product from Transportation Services. The two closest parking facilities to UWMC/UW Health Sciences are parking lot E12 and the Portage Bay Garage. Lot assignment is based on availability at the time of your request.

Parking in the S1 lot requires approval from the Department of Medicine and the School of Medicine and is not available at this time due to garage over-capacity. Please contact Cynthia Yee if you are in the Department of Medicine have any questions regarding parking in S1.

Parking at Harborview

For information about parking options at Harborview, please contact:

HMC Parking and Commuter Services
Location: HMC 8CT69
Phone: (206)744‐3254
Email: hmcpark@uw.edu

Shuttles

Complimentary shuttles run between Harborview, UWMC, UWMC Roosevelt Clinic, UW Tower, SCCA and South Lake Union. There is also a shuttle between UWMC and the VA.

Travel Policies

As a traveler on official University of Washington business, you must adhere to policies and guidelines of the State, the University of Washington, and the Department of Medicine as well as to the internal policies of your division.