Germany

Interstitial low-dose rate brachytherapy was commissioned to the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) by the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) in order to analyze the current knowledge on procedure.

The Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) released the final report on the assessment of benefit for telemonitoring of cardiac implantable electronic devices compared to a standard treatment without telemonitoring in patients with ventricular tachyarrhythmias and / or heart failure. It was concluded that the benefits of the telemonitoring for patients with cardiac failure or heart rhythm disorders with a fast heart rate remain unclear.

In January 2018, the Institute for the Hospital Remuneration System (InEK) has published the List of the requests for innovation funding (NUB). Out of 705 requests for drugs and technologies, 171 (24%) received the positive status 1, and 72 of them were the requests for the medical technologies.

The German Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) has commissioned the Institute for Quality Assurance and Transparency in Health Care (IQTIG) to evaluate the guideline on minimally invasive heart valve interventions with minimum quality standards for hospitals that want to perform transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) or clip procedures on the mitral valve. The report has to be submitted by December, 2019.

In March 2013, the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds requested a benefit assessment of surgical lung volume reduction in severe pulmonary emphysema. The Joint Federal Committee (G-BA) decided on February 15th 2018 that the method will remain a benefit in the inpatient sector in Germany. The was supported by a health technology assessment provided by the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG).

The method was under assessment by the Joint Federal Committee (G-BA) previously but the assessment was paused due to insufficient evidence in 2008. The final decision will concern the reimbursement of the method in the outpatient sector. The Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) is mandated to provide a health technology assessment (HTA) report to support G-BA’s decision.

In order to decide upon the inclusion of medical benefits into the German statutory health insurance, the Joint Federal Committee (G-BA) can commission the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) with the preparation of health technology assessments (HTA). At the turn of the year, IQWiG published its 220th evaluation dossier since its foundation in 2004. G-BA followed IQWiG’s recommendations in 70% of cases.

The German Institute of Medical Documentation and Information (DIMDI) opened the annual application process for procedure codes (OPS) in the inpatient sector. Applications can be submitted by medical societies and other associations within the German healthcare system Deadline for applications is February 28th 2018 and the new codes will be incorporated in the OPS version effective from 2019.

The Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) has analyzed the applications for approval of clinical trials at the Berlin Ethics Committee. The share of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) had risen to 86% in 2013. This trend is assumed to be an early response to increasing international legal regulations of medical devices requiring manufacturers to present higher standards of evidence.

The Institute for the Hospital Remuneration System (InEK) has opened the proposal procedure for integrating the medical and scientific expertise in the further development of the G-DRG system for the year 2019. Proposals, e.g. add-on payments, DRG re-grouping and changes in coding guidelines or cost calculation can be submitted until March 31st, 2018.

As part of its routine method evaluation, the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) charged the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) with a benefit assessment of the use of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) compared to conventional methods of wound management in the inpatient sector in Germany. Currently, no restrictions exist for the use of NPWT in hospital settings. Based on the new evaluation report, the G-BA will re-assess the reimbursement status in the statutory health insurance.

The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) has published its final plan for the benefit assessment of motor-driven movement splints (CPM) after interventions on the knee joint and on the shoulder joint. IQWiG was commissioned with this task by the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA). Two manufacturers and relevant associations had used the opportunity of commenting on the preliminary project plan.