Towards Integrated Care in Immune-Mediated Diseases: The Emerging Role of the UEMS MJC on Immune-Mediated Diseases
Andaç Salman¹ ORCID: 0000-0002-6407-926X , Hrvoje Lalić² ORCID: 0000-0003-4078-4439
¹ UEMS Multidisciplinary Joint Committee on Immune-Mediated Diseases; Department of Dermatology, İstanbul University, İstanbul, Turkey
² UEMS Multidisciplinary Joint Committee on Immune-Mediated Diseases; Department of Dermatovenerology, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Corresponding Author:
Andaç Salman
UEMS Multidisciplinary Joint Committee on Immune-Mediated Diseases
Email: andac.salman@istanbul.edu.tr
Abstract
Background
Immune-mediated diseases affect a substantial proportion of the population and are characterised by overlapping pathogenic mechanisms that extend across traditional specialty boundaries. Their management increasingly requires coordinated multidisciplinary approaches capable of integrating expertise from multiple medical disciplines.
Objective
This article examines the rationale for integrated care in immune-mediated diseases and discusses the emerging role of the UEMS Multidisciplinary Joint Committee (MJC) on Immune-Mediated Diseases as a European platform for collaboration, education, and professional coordination.
Discussion
Immune-mediated diseases frequently involve multiple organ systems and shared inflammatory pathways, creating challenges for conventional organ-based models of care. Multidisciplinary approaches have demonstrated benefits regarding clinical outcomes, patient experience, and coordination of care. Within this context, the UEMS MJC on Immune-Mediated Diseases provides an organisational structure supporting dialogue and cooperation across specialties involved in the diagnosis and management of these conditions. Following the election of a new Bureau in January 2026, the Committee has entered a new phase focused on strengthening multidisciplinary collaboration, expanding visibility within UEMS, and developing practical initiatives in education, competency development, and clinical harmonisation.
Conclusions
The UEMS MJC on Immune-Mediated Diseases represents an important step toward more integrated and coordinated management of immune-mediated diseases within European specialist medicine. By fostering sustained multidisciplinary collaboration and focusing on realistic educational and professional objectives, the Committee has the potential to strengthen coherence across specialties and contribute to improved patient care throughout Europe.
Keywords
Immune-mediated diseases; multidisciplinary care; integrated care; UEMS; postgraduate medical education; European specialist medicine; professional collaboration
Introduction
Immune-mediated diseases comprise a broad and clinically heterogeneous group of disorders characterised by dysregulated immune responses and chronic inflammation affecting multiple organs and systems. Collectively, these diseases are estimated to affect up to 7% of the population and represent a major burden for patients and healthcare systems worldwide.
Despite major advances in immunopathogenesis research and the development of targeted therapies over recent decades, definitive curative treatments remain unavailable for most immune-mediated conditions. In addition to their physical manifestations, these diseases often impose substantial psychosocial and quality-of-life burdens on patients and their families.
A defining feature of immune-mediated diseases is the presence of overlapping pathogenic mechanisms and shared inflammatory pathways extending across traditionally distinct medical specialties. Multiple immune-mediated disorders may coexist within the same patient, frequently involving several organ systems simultaneously. This overlap challenges conventional organ-based approaches to healthcare and highlights the need for closer collaboration between specialties.
As understanding of immune-mediated diseases evolves, there is increasing recognition that effective management requires coordinated multidisciplinary care integrating expertise from multiple disciplines. This perspective aligns closely with the broader mission of the Union Européenne des Médecins Spécialistes (UEMS) to promote high-quality specialist medical care and professional collaboration throughout Europe.
Within this context, the UEMS Multidisciplinary Joint Committee (MJC) on Immune-Mediated Diseases has emerged as a dedicated structure supporting sustained interdisciplinary dialogue, educational cooperation, and professional coordination across specialties involved in immune-mediated diseases.
The Need for Multidisciplinary Care
The benefits of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approaches are increasingly recognised in the management of immune-mediated diseases. Compared with traditional specialty-based care models, multidisciplinary structures may improve both clinical outcomes and patient-reported experiences.
Studies have demonstrated that integrated care models positively influence disease understanding, treatment acceptance, patient empowerment, and overall quality of life. Although multidisciplinary care may initially involve slightly higher short-term healthcare costs, these are often offset by improved disease control, more efficient use of healthcare resources, and better long-term outcomes.
Multidisciplinary collaboration may also reduce fragmented referrals, facilitate more appropriate management of treatment-related adverse effects, and support earlier recognition of additional organ involvement. This is particularly important in immune-mediated diseases, where delayed diagnosis and insufficient coordination between specialties may contribute to disease progression and increased morbidity.
The increasing complexity of modern immunological therapies further strengthens the need for coordinated care structures capable of integrating expertise from different specialties. As therapeutic pathways become more sophisticated, communication and shared understanding between disciplines become increasingly essential.
Overall, multidisciplinary care provides a structured framework supporting more integrated, patient-centred, and clinically coherent management of complex immune-mediated disorders.
The Role of the UEMS MJC on Immune-Mediated Diseases
At the European level, the growing need for interdisciplinary collaboration aligns closely with the role of UEMS structures designed to facilitate cooperation beyond the boundaries of individual specialties.
The UEMS Multidisciplinary Joint Committee on Immune-Mediated Diseases provides an organisational framework for sustained collaboration in an area extending across multiple Sections and Boards. The Committee offers a formal platform through which specialists from different disciplines may engage in dialogue, exchange expertise, and develop joint initiatives addressing shared professional challenges.
Although the MJC already existed within the UEMS structure, recent organisational changes, including the election of a new Bureau in January 2026, created an opportunity to redefine priorities and strengthen multidisciplinary engagement. This transition initiated a new phase focused on consolidation, visibility, and practical cooperation across participating specialties.
The Committee’s role is not to establish a new independent specialty. Rather, it seeks to support coherent multidisciplinary approaches within a field requiring additional competencies, shared educational efforts, and closer professional alignment throughout Europe.
In practical terms, the MJC provides a structured forum for addressing issues of common relevance, including postgraduate education, shared training principles, standards of practice, and areas where improved coordination between specialties may enhance patient care.
The Committee also aims to broaden multidisciplinary participation by engaging additional UEMS Sections and encouraging wider representation within its activities.
Strategic Priorities and Future Directions
The next phase of development for the UEMS MJC on Immune-Mediated Diseases should focus on a limited number of realistic and achievable priorities capable of supporting sustainable long-term progress.
One important objective involves the development of coherent educational and professional cooperation frameworks across participating specialties. This may include preparation of interdisciplinary training modules, identification of shared learning objectives, and development of competency frameworks addressing core immunological principles, multidisciplinary assessment, and integrated management of immune-mediated diseases.
Such initiatives may help specialists from different disciplines develop a shared professional language and a more consistent understanding of the mechanisms, diagnostic challenges, and therapeutic principles relevant to these disorders.
Another strategic priority concerns harmonisation of diagnostic and clinical approaches across Europe. Important differences continue to exist regarding access to specialist expertise, laboratory support, referral structures, and multidisciplinary care pathways.
As an initial step, the Committee may support mapping of existing diagnostic pathways, referral systems, and multidisciplinary care models across participating countries and specialties. This would help identify variability, gaps in access to expertise, and examples of effective practice. Over time, such work could contribute to practical recommendations or minimum standards in selected areas where multidisciplinary coordination provides clear added value.
Strengthening the visibility of immune-mediated diseases within both UEMS and the broader medical community also represents an important objective. This includes developing a clearer communication strategy, broadening participation from relevant Sections, and establishing a stronger multidisciplinary identity for the field within European specialist medicine.
Early activities may therefore focus on stakeholder engagement, establishment of working groups, and regular communication with participating bodies regarding educational initiatives, clinical harmonisation projects, and external cooperation.
The long-term value of the MJC will ultimately depend on continuity, realistic planning, and sustained multidisciplinary engagement. A stepwise development strategy may therefore be particularly appropriate. Initial efforts may focus on mapping activities, stakeholder engagement, and definition of shared priorities before progressing toward educational modules, competency frameworks, and practical recommendations.
Over time, these activities may contribute to revision and updating of European Training Requirements and other shared standards relevant to immune-mediated diseases.
Discussion
Immune-mediated diseases exemplify the growing need for integrated approaches within modern healthcare. Their pathophysiology, clinical overlap, and increasingly complex therapeutic management challenge traditional specialty boundaries and highlight the limitations of isolated organ-based care models.
The UEMS Multidisciplinary Joint Committee on Immune-Mediated Diseases represents an important organisational response to these challenges by creating a structured framework for sustained interdisciplinary collaboration.
Importantly, the Committee’s value lies not only in facilitating dialogue, but also in its potential to translate multidisciplinary exchange into practical outcomes related to education, training, clinical coordination, and professional harmonisation.
The initiative also reflects broader trends within European healthcare, where increasing emphasis is being placed on integrated care models, interdisciplinary cooperation, and patient-centred healthcare organisation.
If developed progressively and strategically, the MJC may contribute substantially to strengthening coherence across European specialist medicine while improving the quality and coordination of care for patients living with immune-mediated diseases.
Conclusion
Immune-mediated diseases require healthcare models capable of integrating expertise across multiple medical specialties. Their complexity, overlapping mechanisms, and systemic manifestations make multidisciplinary collaboration increasingly essential.
The UEMS Multidisciplinary Joint Committee on Immune-Mediated Diseases provides a valuable platform for dialogue, coordination, and shared professional development within this rapidly evolving field.
By focusing on realistic educational, organisational, and clinical priorities while fostering sustained multidisciplinary engagement, the Committee has the potential to strengthen coherence within European specialist medicine and contribute to more integrated and effective patient care across Europe.
Open Access & Copyright
© 2026 The Authors. Published by the European Medical Specialist Review (EMSR) under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).