Health technology assessment

The Ludwig Boltzmann Institute – Health Technology Assessment (LBI-HTA) released seven decision support documents in 2017. In these, three technologies were recommended for inclusion into the national benefit catalogue. The rest was preliminarily not recommended for inclusion. HTA by LBI-HTA have indirect but strong connection to decision making about funding by the Ministry of Health.

Plasmapheresis procedure has not been supported for application in patients with Alzheimer’s by Spanish Health Technology Assessment Agency (AETS) due to insufficient evidence.

EUnetHTA analyzed HTA and reimbursement procedures in relation to pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical health technologies in EUnetHTA partner countries. About 59 HTA agencies and decision-makers provided country-specific information and outlined the process of HTA and reimbursement in 31 European countries.

The Andalusian Agency for Health Technology Assessment (AETSA) performed evaluation of transcranial Doppler ultrasonography in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Available evidence was considered as insufficient for formulation of final conclusion. However, AETSA prepared recommendations for evidence generation strategy for this procedure.

In the first half of January, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published five new Medtech innovation briefings for in vitro diagnostic test for determining breast cancer subtypes, point-of-care creatinine tests before contrast-enhanced imaging, plasma EGFR mutation tests for adults with locally advanced or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer, smartphone otoscope and sequencing panel for solid tumour cancers in children .

The Basque Office for Health Technology Assessment (OSTEBA) published results of assessments of home telemonitoring on patients with heart failure. This intervention was considered as effective and cost-effectiveness technology. However, further research is needed to specify criteria for better application.

In the second half of November, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published two new interventional procedures guidance (for hypoglossal nerve stimulation for moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnoea and processed nerve allografts to repair peripheral nerve discontinuities).

The Belgian Health Care Knowledge Centre and the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Care innovation have signed an agreement to invest 6 million euros in the pilot project Belgium-Netherlands Funding of International Trials (BeNeFIT) for conduction of comparative, practice-oriented clinical studies which is relevant to patients, caregivers and policymakers in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Emilia Romagna Region announced the launch of two new series of documents, according to the new regional assessment framework for medical devices developed during 2017: rapid assessment reports and preliminary information reports.

Emilia Romagna Region published a preliminary information report on the CytoSorb® device, an extracorporeal cytokine adsorber for the reduction of circulating cytokines in the blood stream.

Emilia Romagna Region published a rapid assessment report on the cardiac cryoablation catheter (also known as cryoballoon) for atrial fibrillation (AF). The authors concluded that, compared to radiofrequency ablation, cryoablation is not linked to higher effectiveness but presents shorter procedural time.Emilia Romagna Region published a rapid assessment report on the cardiac cryoablation catheter (also known as cryoballoon) for atrial fibrillation (AF). The authors concluded that, compared to radiofrequency ablation, cryoablation is not linked to higher effectiveness but presents shorter procedural time.