The Functional Unit of Systemic Autoimmune Diseases (UFMAS) of the Bellvitge Hospital has been designated by the Catalan Department of Health as a member of the Network of Clinical Experience Units (XUEC) for these pathologies
This is a very diverse cluster, including systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis or scleroderma, primary Sjogren's syndrome, inflammatory myopathies as well as the group of systemic vasculitides as main entities. However relatively low prevalence systemic autoimmune diseases may have, they are very heterogeneous and chronic clinical entities, which require multidisciplinary approaches for their treatment and follow-up.
Catalonia's healthcare model for Rare Diseases (MM) and the designation of XUECs for MM clusters is being deployed in line with the strategy of European Reference Networks for rare and complex diseases (ERNs). The network makes it possible to recognise and use the experience and knowledge of more than one reference unit by creating groups of Clinical Experience Units that work in coordination with each other to address a rare disease or a rare disease thematic group, pooling their knowledge and guaranteeing equity through the use of agreed protocols.