Health technology assessment

Two mini-method assessments regarding the magnetic technology (Magseed) for labeling non-palpable breast lesions and robotic-assisted minimally invasive harvesting of muscle patches for reconstructive surgery were initiated in Norway this October of 2018. All finalized mini-method assessments are published in the National Database for Mini-HTA.

On October 26, 2018, the European Network for Health Technology Assessment has published the final report of femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) for the treatment of age-related cataract. The authors of this report are a group of experts from the Italian region of Emilia Romagna, together with Health Austria (Gesundheit Österreich, GÖG).

In September, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published two new interventional procedure guidance for transurethral water jet ablation for lower urinary tract symptoms caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia and intravesical microwave hyperthermia and chemotherapy for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer, one medical technologies guidance for neuropad for detecting preclinical diabetic peripheral neuropathy and two new medtech innovation.

In the middle of October 2018, the Andalusian Agency for the Evaluation of Health Technologies, AETSA, has published a health technology report in which they have assessed the safety, efficacy and efficiency of FebriDx® test.

In August, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published four new interventional procedure guidance for leadless cardiac pacemaker implantation for bradyarrhythmias, superior rectal artery embolisation for haemorrhoids, sutureless aortic valve replacement for aortic stenosis and transurethral water vapour ablation for benign prostatic hyperplasia, and four new medtech innovation briefings.

In mid-October 2018, the Catalan Agency for Quality and Healthcare Evaluation, AQuAS, published the evaluation of efficacy and safety home-based hospitalization. The authors have concluded that it is a valid patient care option.

In October 2018, the Austrian HTA body, the Ludwig-Boltzmann Institue (LBI), published the update on the PET/PET-CT topic. The report was done together with the Berlin Technical University.

On 6th of September, 2018, the Austrian HTA body, the Ludwig-Boltzmann Institute (LBI-HTA) has released a report on external stimulation of the trigeminal nerve for the prevention and acute treatment of an episodic and chronic migraine. The method was not recommended for inclusion into catalogue of hospital benefits.

In May 2018, the French National Authority of Health, HAS, has published an update of the assessment of coronary stents.

On 3rd of October, 2018, the Italian Agency for Regional Healthcare Services, AGENAS, announced on their website that the reviewer volunteers are needed for reviewing the reports that should be published soon.

On 20th of July, 2018, the Austrian HTA body, the Ludwig-Boltzmann Institute (LBI) has published HTA of meniscal allograft transplantation for post-meniscectomy syndrome in Austria. It was concluded that there is not enough evidence demonstrating benefits in order to include MAT into the Austrian benefit catalogue.

In mid-September 2018, the Andalusian HTA agency, AETSA, published a report in which they assessed the safety and effectiveness of the cardiopoietic stem cells therapy of secondary heart failure to myocardial ischemia.