Germany

In 2016, Joint Federal Committee (G-BA) commissioned Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWIG) for benefit assessment of telemonitoring systems in patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD). In July 2017, IQWIG published a preliminary report. Due to lack of evidence, no benefit statement was made.

G-BA started review process for number of procedures for treatment of benign prostate enlargement in 2009. After publication of the results of rapid health technology assessment by the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG), G-BA was able to come to the conclusion in June 2017 about efficacy and safety of the thulium laser resection of prostate are well documented and procedure can be covered within statutory health insurance in Germany.

Article “Cost-utility analysis of bariatric surgery compared with conventional medical management in Germany: a decision analytic modeling” was published in the BMC Surgery. Surgery was found cost-effective at 10-year time horizon and cost saving over life time of operated cohort. Delay in provision of surgery led to reduction of gained health benefits.

Reinhard Busse et al. published article “Statutory health insurance in Germany: a health system shaped by 135 years of solidarity, self-governance, and competition” in the Lancet. Article provides valuable insights into history and current state of statutory health insurance system in Germany.

New version 5.0 of the guidance “Allgemeine Methoden” provides basis for the scientific work of the Institute and its external experts. Multiple changes were made to existing sections, several new sections were added as well. Guidance provides brief overview of assessments performed in connection to benefit assessment for high class risk medical technologies, submitted for the innovation funding (NUB) for the first time.

Researchers evaluated care process, access, administrative efficiency, equity and health care outcomes in 11 countries on the basis of published health care statistics for 72 indicators. The best overall performers among European countries were the UK (ranked 1st), the Netherlands (3rd), Norway (4th), Sweden and Switzerland (6th). Germany (8th) and France (10th) were low in the ranking.

In March 2017, G-BA approved two additional indications for application of PET/CT for management of neck and head tumors in hospital settings after reevaluation of evidence by IQWiG in 2016. New indications concern decision making about need for neck dissection and laryngoscopic biopsy.

Recently the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWIG) published final report of evaluation extracorporeal shock wave therapy in patients with heel pain. On 31st of May, the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) requested manufacturers for notification of their devices for extracorporeal shock wave therapy before final decision will be given.

The Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWIG) published final report of evaluation of extracorporeal shock wave therapy in patients with heel. Results demonstrated benefit of the extracorporeal treatment in comparison with placebo, ultrasound and iontophoresis.

In 2016, the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) commissioned the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) to perform evaluation of controlled active motion (CAM) in patients with rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament. The final report of assessment was published on May of 2017. No definite conclusion can be made in relation to comparative efficacy and safety of studied technologies due to lack of evidence.

In 2014, Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) commissioned Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) to conduct health technology assessment of different approaches for lung volume reduction in patients with severe pulmonary emphysema. And now IQWiG has published the final report. The main conclusion is that it was not possible to draw any conclusion about relative effectiveness of bronchoscopic and surgical methods due to lack of the data.

This post presents an extract from our reimbursement analysis for angioplasty of arteries of lower extremities with stenting using bare metal and drug-eluting stents for peripheral arterial disease in England, France and Germany. Procedure is reimbursed via combination of diagnosis-related group (DRG) and add-on reimbursement in England and France and solely via DRG in Germany.