e-Health

NHSX provides funding through 'Techforce 19' to innovators who can find digital ways to benefit those in need of help, including those in need of mental health support and social care. The technology is intended to help people who might be most impacted by the long term effects of remaining housebound during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On March 5, 2020, the NHS Innovation Accelerator (NIA) announced the 11 high impact innovations that will enter the national accelerator in 2020. As outlined in the NHS Long Term Plan, the technologies that enter the award-winning NIA provide solutions that help prioritize areas for NHS.

NHSX is creating a Digital Health Technology Standard to enhance the way the NHS assesses digital technology for use by patients and staff. It is meant to help developers understand what is required of them, and simplify and streamline how health technologies are assessed and commissioned for use in the NHS. The consultation continues until 22 April 2020 Wednesday.

A syndicated 105-page report includes information on the current administrative framework for health apps, current reimbursement framework, examples of reimbursed apps, the role of health technology assessment, upcoming changes in the reimbursement systems. The report includes analysis in five European countries: Belgium, England, France, Germany, and the Netherlands.

In late January 2020, the Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin and health insurance provider Barmer have signed an integrated care contract for the telemedical management of patients with chronic heart failure. Also, the benefit assessment process at the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) has already started, and a result is expected in spring 2021.

With the support of Aaron.ai, the first health application from the project “KBV Future Practice” ("KBV-Zukunftspraxis") was launched in Germany. About 50 medical practices are now testing the smart telephone assistant in their daily work. The evaluation of the practical tests is carried out by the Charité.

In order to promote the video consultations, the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV) and the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds (GKV-Spitzenverband) have agreed on several new regulations. Thus, a video consultation will also be possible if the patient has not been previously treated by the doctor. For psychotherapies, the video consultations were reopened.

Outcomes Based Healthcare and My Diabetes My Way have been selected as Health Data Research UK (HDRUK) Sandbox projects.

In Sweden, the Centre for Assessment of Medical Technology (CAMTÖ) leads the development of HTA cooperation in the healthcare region Uppsala-Örebro. In September 2019, CAMTÖ released a systematic review on SMS alerts to laypersons for cardiopulmonary resuscitation in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) that aimed to clarify SMS efficacy on survival after OHCA. Currently, the best available evidence does not support the use of SMS alarm to laymen as a means of improving survival after OHCA.

NHSX is working with the market at a national level to create a platform of digital tools like NHS Login that can be built on by digital health innovators.

The German Research Foundation (DFG) has launched a new Artificial Intelligence (AI) imaging priority program "Radiomics: Next Generation Medical Imaging" (“Radiomics: Nächste Generation der medizinischen Bildgebung”). More than 8 million euros will flow into the program in the next three years. The program will be coordinated by the University Hospital Freiburg.

MTRC has developed three reports on the key market access topics, including innovation funding, health technology assessment and funding frameworks for medical devices. These reports help to understand the relevance of these frameworks to certain types of medical technologies, including E-Health technologies. This post provides some key facts about the HTA, funding and innovation payment landscape for cardiovascular devices in Europe.