Health technology assessment

In Sweden, the Centre for Assessment of Medical Technology (CAMTÖ) leads the development of HTA cooperation in healthcare region Uppsala-Örebro. Currently, CAMTÖ is working on several assessments related to the medical devices and technologies such as equipment for 3D Printing, robot Intuitive daVinci Xi etc. After the completion of assessment procedure, the reports will be published at the web-site of Örebro County Council.

In April 2019, the Catalan Agency for Quality and Healthcare Evaluation, AQuAS, published a quick report with indication criteria for cochlear implants in children.

In Finland, the Health Care Services Selection Council is responsible for making recommendations regarding the research, treatment and rehabilitation methods. Currently, PALKO is working on the only one assessment related to in-vitro diagnostics - screening for a Serious Combined Immune Deficiency (SCID) from newborn heel. In final report, the Council will conclude whether the procedure is a part of publicly funded services or not.

On behalf of the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG), a working group of the Hannover Medical School (MHH) has assessed the treatment outcomes in case of nasoalveolar molding (NAM) for cleft lip and palate. The report was published in February 2019.

In January 2019, the Health Institute Carlos III published a report Diagnostic effectiveness and safety of elastography in oncology. An overview of systematic reviews and meta-analysis.

With a regional decree of March 7, 2019, Tuscany Regional Healthcare has published assessments of seventeen medical devices belonging to various therapeutic areas.

The Health Institute Carlos III published a report titled Analysis of the efficacy and safety of peripheral neurostimulators of the sphenopalatine ganglion for the treatment of refractory chronic clusters headache.

The Health Institute Carlos III published a report on efficiency and safety analysis of orthodontic-orthopedic devices for maxillary expansion as an alternative to adenotonsillectomy and/or pharmacological treatment for Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea-Hypopnea Syndrome.

In early 2019, the Memorandum of Understanding was signed to support HTA in Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The Memorandum of understanding establishes a collaborative approach to the identification and assessment of new health technologies between Health Information and Quality Authority Ireland, Health Technology Assesment Group Ireland, Health Technology Wales, and the Scottish Health Technology Group. These bodies assess and give guidance on health technologies within their national healthcare systems.

In late March 2019, the Italian Ministry of Health has published a new document on medical device governance. The document presents the guidelines for a new governance of medical devices, which aims at the efficient allocation of the NHS resources, the sustainability of innovation, the strengthening of supervision and the transparency of actions and reports concerning the procurement and use of medical devices.

In March 2019, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published two new interventional procedure guidance (for Barnett Continent Intestinal Reservoir (modified continent ileostomy) to restore continence after colon and rectum removal and high-intensity focused ultrasound for symptomatic benign thyroid nodules), and three new MedTech innovation briefings (for system for ruling out coronary artery disease in people with symptoms of stable coronary artery disease, medical imaging software tool for kidney stone evaluation, incision management system for closed surgical incisions).

Norway established in 2013 a framework “New Method” for the introduction of innovations into the health care system through either a national or hospital-based health technology assessment. In this framework, all innovations should undergo HTA before being funded. Currently, 13 ongoing mini-HTA projects are conducted in Norway: robotic-assisted procedures, microwave ablation, and tonsillectomy devices, among others.