e-Health

In February 2026, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) in England released five Med Tech-related assessments in its HTA Journal, which concerned hysteroscopic removal of endometrial polyps and submucosal fibroids, magnetic resonance enterography for Crohn's disease, oxygen saturation in critically ill children, paravertebral and thoracic epidural blockade for post-thoracotomy pain and Artificial Intelligence technologies for assessing skin lesions.

On February 11, 2026, the Federal Ministry of Health (BGM) presented the further development of the Digitalization Strategy for Health and Nursing Care. The objectives are to integrate digital innovations more strongly into routine care, to systematically generate and use high-quality health data, and to enhance digital care coordination.

In Germany, digital health applications (DiGAs) that can be prescribed by physicians and psychotherapists and reimbursed by statutory health insurers are listed in the Directory of Digital Health Applications maintained by the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM). As of February 23, 2026, a total of 61 apps are available in the Directory and thus eligible for reimbursement.

On February 4, 2026, the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England published the National Cancer Plan for England, setting out a decade-long, technology-enabled transformation of cancer services, with substantial commitments to diagnostics, AI, genomics, robotic surgery, digital tools, and innovation-driven care pathways. The key ambition is that, by 2035, three out of four people diagnosed with cancer will be cancer-free, or living well with cancer after five years.

On February 9, 2026, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) announced the launch of the new National Healthtech Access Programme (NHAP). The NHAP will expand NICE’s Technology Appraisals programme to include health technologies beyond medicines (medical devices, diagnostics, and digital tools), allowing mandatory reimbursement of recommended technologies. The first two NHAP topics are capsule sponge tests for detecting oesophageal cancer and AI tools for identifying prostate and breast cancer.

In January 2026, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) in England released three Med Tech-related assessments in its HTA Journal, which concerned digital technologies for chronic tic disorders and Tourette Syndrome, bariatric surgical interventions for severe obesity, and laparoscopic surgery and medical treatment for deep endometriosis.

In January 2026, the Dutch Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMw) awarded fourteen projects under the “Implementation round 3” of the Efficiency Research program, including the MedTech projects in e-health, gastrointestinal, oncology, neurosurgery, IVD, and cardiovascular fields.

In January 2026, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published three new HealthTech Guidances (HTGs) on balloon cryoablation for Barrett's esophagus, digital self-help technologies for eating disorders, and digital technologies for managing mild to moderate symptoms of hip or knee osteoarthritis.

In January 2026, Italy entered the operational phase of the 2026–2028 National Health Technology Assessment Program for Medical Devices (PNHTA-DM) following the release of approximately €13 million from the national medical device governance fund. Coordinated by the National Agency for Regional Health Services (AGENAS), the program strengthens Italy’s national HTA system that will impact market access and procurement decisions for medical technologies.

In December 2025, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) in England released three Med Tech-related assessments in its HTA Journal, which concerned endoscopic treatments for obesity, whole-genome sequencing for rare diseases in newborn screening, and a tele-ophthalmology-enabled and artificial intelligence-ready referral pathway for community optometry referrals of retinal disease.

In December 2025, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published one new Interventional Procedures Guidance on venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA ECMO) for postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock in adults, and one new Early Value Assessment (EVA) on digital platforms to support cardiac rehabilitation.

On December 3, 2025, the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health announced amendments to the List of Medical Aids (Annex 2 of the Healthcare Benefit Ordinance or MiGeL), which will take effect in 2026. From July 1, 2026, the MiGeL List will include a new chapter for digital health applications. The first generic category to be registered covers a health application for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for depression.