Bronchial thermoplasty

On October 20, 2023, the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) published six newly initiated health technology assessments, four of which relate to MedTech. These belong to pulmonary, interventional radiology, and physiotherapy technology groups.

In July 2023, the ZIN announced one more project awarded under round 7 of the Promising care subsidy scheme in 2023. Two more projects within this round were awarded at the end of March 2023. The new project relates to bronchial thermoplasty and will last six years.

On September 27, 2021, the Decision Forum for "New Methods" decided not to introduce bronchial thermoplasty as a routine treatment of patients with severe asthma. The method should only be used within clinical trials.

The report presents a summary of the reimbursement situation for bronchial thermoplasty in severe bronchial asthma in Europe. The only reimbursement within public / statutory health insurance systems is considered. The analysis covers procedure coding, payment mechanism, reimbursement tariffs and policy restrictions in 11 EU countries including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. It is also possible to add analysis in the Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, Romania, Russia and Turkey.

In December 2018, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published one new diagnostic guidance (for tumour profiling tests to guide adjuvant chemotherapy decisions in early breast cancer), two new interventional procedure guidance (for transcutaneous neuromuscular electrical stimulation for oropharyngeal dysphagia in adults and bronchial thermoplasty for severe asthma), and four MedTech innovation briefings.