Cataract

On May 13, 2025, the Common Package of Benefits of the Spanish National Health System (NHS) was amended. The med tech-related updates mostly concerned in-vitro diagnostics, gastrointestinal, e-Health, cardiovascular, ENT, ophthalmology, oral health, and neurology fields.

On December 1, 2022, the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health published the changes that will occur to the Services Ordinance (KLV/OPre), which determines coverage of medical services in Switzerland. The updates will enter into force on January 1, 2023, and they relate to the list of explicitly evaluated services (Annex 1 of KLV/OPre), outpatient-before-hospital services (Annex 1a), List of Tools and Appliances(Annex 2), and List of Analyses (Annex 3).

In Sensible Care projects, the Dutch Healthcare Institute, together with other parties, is investigating the possibilities for improving care pathways for patients. As of early November 2020, there are 30 ongoing projects, including two projects for assessing knee and hip osteoarthritis treatment and medicines for castration-refractory prostate carcinoma at the final evaluation phase.

In early January 2020, the Danish Health Authority (Sundhedsstyrelsen) has updated the national clinical guideline on the diagnosis and treatment of patients with age-related cataracts.

On October 26, 2018, the European Network for Health Technology Assessment has published the final report of femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) for the treatment of age-related cataract. The authors of this report are a group of experts from the Italian region of Emilia Romagna, together with Health Austria (Gesundheit Österreich, GÖG).

Within the Work Package 4 of EUnetHTA Joint Action 3, femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) is currently under assessment by a team led by Emilia Romagna Region.