Please carefully read our 32 requirements and deliverables here:
The first step is to read our list of requirements carefully. Do you fulfil most of them?
If yes, please go to the appropriate application form below and send it off.
Please note that certified ACARE centers have premium access to becoming an UCARE and should therefore use the UCARE-ACARE application form. All other centers should use the UCARE application form.
A member of the UCARE office will get in touch with you after. We will send you the UCARE audit package and explain the next steps. We will also already list your center on our website as an applicant.
It depends on which requirement is missing. Many are non-negotiable, for instance that a center treats patients of all ages. However, if the deliverable is something that would be improved by your center joining the network, exceptions might be made. If you’re not sure, feel free to reach out to us: audits(at)ga2len-ucare.com
The process of becoming a member of UCARE involves an audit in which an auditor from a certified UCARE center will determine if and how your center meets the 32 UCARE criteria. You will find these criteria again in the “audit report” in the general audit package that we will make available to each applicant. Together with sending that information we ask if you already have an auditor in mind – any head and deputy of a certified UCARE center can be an auditor. If not, we are of course happy to find one for you. Once an auditor is found, we will connect you and leave you to find a convenient date.
The audit can take place on site or via online conferencing. Which way you choose depends on the preferences of applicant and auditor, and of course on the current pandemic situation/restrictions in your area.
A video conference platform should be used for the audit on remote and the UCARE office will be happy to help if auditors or applicant UCAREs do not have access to such a platform. The UCARE office is ready to answer any questions on remote auditing that applicant centers may have.
To help the auditor to prepare the audit und to allow the UCARE Steering Committee to gain a deeper insight into your center as the audit report would allow, we ask that you send pre-prepared materials to the auditor and the UCARE office. This documentation should be reach us at latest 10 days before the audit takes place.
These materials should show how your center meets the 32 UCARE criteria and may include photos, certificates, and any other documents that you feel are appropriate to send to the auditor (please keep confidentiality laws in mind!). This documentation is a mandatory element of the audit process.
For both cases (on site or on remote audit) up to 2 hours should be scheduled for the audit meeting.
Below you will find examples of a first audit and a re-audit UCARE/ACARE center at the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University that we think are exemplary.
After the audit visit, the UCARE steering committee will review the audit report that your auditor filled out and the UCARE office will inform you about the results. If the audit was successful, you will receive a UCARE certificate from us that is valid for two years.
If the audit was not successful, you will receive an explanation on which criteria your center should work on, after which another audit can be performed.
Watch a short video on the whole process here:
Congratulations! We are happy to welcome you to the network: You will receive a corresponding UCARE certificate, which is initially valid for 2 years, and will be listed on our UCARE website as a certified UCARE. In addition, you will get access to our Sharing Platform, where you will be able to view and sign documents pertaining to your center and any scientific projects you might be part of.
See question 13 for more details.
Now: Get involved and help to let the UCARE network flourish and grow!
Be an active network member:
- Please bring other UCARE experts into the network by performing audits
- take part in our scientific studies
- initiate your own UCARE studies
- be part of a taskforce to shape our UCARE LevelUp and UCARE 4U programs
- or be a speaker yourself
Do you have an idea for an interesting podcast topic, or a webinar? Let us know! Please also make note of our Chronic Urticaria Self Evaluation App CRUSE® and the Chronic Urticaria Registry CURE. Don’t forget to share our content with the other physicians and nurses in your center. Please follow us on Social Media and share our content with your network!
4U Twitter | LevelUp Twitter | LinkedIn | Reddit | TikTok | YouTube | Website
The first audit certificate is generally valid for 2 years. After the first re-audit, the certificate is valid for 3 years. From the second re-audit onwards, it will be 4 years and thus the maximum period of validity will have been reached. Your UCARE must therefore be recertified every 4 years after the 3rd audit.
We ask you to please contact us at least 3 months before your certificate expires, so that we will have enough time to organize your re-audit. As with the initial audit, we will ask you if you have a potential auditor for your center in mind. If not, we will look for one. Please note that for transparency purposes, the auditor for your re-audit cannot be the same one as for your first audit. We will supply a re-audit-template, which lists your center details and shows the result of your last audit. If during your first audit areas with need for further improvement were identified, there will be a special focus on them during the re-audit. We ask you to please complete the audit report on pages 2 to 4 (Activities of the UCARE since the last certification) and to prepare a presentation that shows again how your center meets all 32 UCARE criteria. Both documents are mandatory and should be uploaded on our sharing platform Shasaf 10 days before the re-audit takes place at the latest.
In general, we ask you to notify us of all changes to your center via email at audits(at)ga2len-ucare.com. If all the requirements are still met, then no, as we certify the centers and its activities, not the individual physician. However, if by leaving the center there is no-one left to take on the role of head, then the center will not be listed anymore. However, our door is always open and we would love to have your center rejoin the network as soon as possible!
Yes! We will do our best to coordinate a multiple-center audit with you. If you are already a certified ACARE center, you have premium access to becoming an UCARE and should therefore use the UCARE already ACARE application form below. For double or triple audits involing ADCARE, ANACARE or ARIACARE, please contact us via email under audits(at)ga2len-ucare.com.
Please note that all certificates are still separate, and undergoing a double or triple audit does not guarantee certifications for all Centers of Excellence, if the requirements are not fully met for each core.
If your application was unsuccessful, you will be told exactly why. If these issues can be resolved in the future, you can of course apply again and preferably the initial auditor will perform a new audit!
No, of course not. We understand that life gets in the way sometimes, so just please inform us of your decision If you ever want to pick up again at some point, feel free to get in touch with us later.
You can get in touch with the UCARE office at audits(at)ga2len-ucare.com. We will be happy to answer all your questions. If you are experiencing technical difficulties with the application form, we are happy to send one to you via email.
Our UCARE member area is located on a platform called Shasaf where you can access general UCARE information and see, comment on and sign documents pertaining to e.g. scientific projects you are taking part in. Please note that all UCARE members have access to this member area and comments, documents or any changes are visible for all circle members. Once you signed up for the member area, you will be ready to join your own center area with all your UCARE related documents such as certificates.
Need another circle e.g. for a scientific project? Contact us at info@ga2len-ucare.com!
Shasaf is a safe document sharing platform, and only authorized members will be able to see data pertaining to them. You will get an initial invitation from Shasaf with a prompt to create a profile. We strongly recommend that you utilize Two-Factor-Authentification with a mobile app called Authy for iOS and Android.
If you experience any issues regarding your account, Authy, or other system functionalities and features, you are always welcome to reach out to the Shasaf support team at support@shasaf.com or +45 71 997 997.
Please take a look at our video tutorial on how to use Shasaf.
