Health technology assessments published by HAS in July 2022

In July 2022, the French National Authority for Health (HAS) published seven new opinions based on health technology assessment reports:

• "Evaluation of the use of echoscopy (or targeted clinical ultrasound) by the general practitioner" – the aim was to evaluate the medical situations for which the use of echoscopy or targeted clinical ultrasound would improve the quality of the clinical examination, determine its place in the diagnostic and therapeutic strategy, define the conditions of achievement and the training requirements that accompany it, and evaluate the consequences of its use on the patient care pathway. The HAS concluded that it was impossible to identify the clinical situations for which the use of targeted clinical ultrasound would bring added value to the standard clinical examination in general medicine and proposed the withdrawal of this evaluation from the 2022 work program;
• "Confocal endomicroscopy for the characterization of pancreatic cystic tumors" – the aim was to assess the benefit/risk of technology, to define its indications and conditions for carrying it out, and to issue an opinion regarding the registration of this procedure in the Common Classification of Medical Procedures (CCAM). The HAS issued an unfavorable opinion (insufficient actual benefit) for the inclusion of the technology in the CCAM;
• "Detection of gene alterations RET by next-generation sequencing technique (NGS) in non-small cell lung cancer and medullary thyroid cancer" – the aim was to assess the opportunity and conditions of registering the test in the Nomenclature of Medical Biology Procedures (NABM). The HAS published a favorable opinion (sufficient actual benefit and level III of clinical added value) for the registration of the test in the Nomenclature of Medical Biology Procedures (NABM) in specified indications;
• "Biological diagnosis of urogenital mycoplasmas in lower genital infections" – the request was made by the National Union of Health Insurance Funds (UNCAM) for the registration of two procedures, research by gene amplification test for Mycoplasma genitalium and mutations of resistance of this mycoplasma to macrolides in the Nomenclature of Medical Biology Procedures (NABM), and removal of the procedure for search for mycoplasmas by culture from the NABM, in the context of the diagnosis of lower genital infections (urethritis or cervicitis). The HAS issued a favorable opinion (sufficient actual benefit and level III of clinical added value) for the registration of two tests and the removal from the NABM (insufficient actual benefit) of the act entitled "Mycoplasmas: cultures on special media, counting, characterization" (code: 5253);
• "Nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT) to detect infection with the Monkeypox virus" – the request was made by the General Directorate of Health for the opinion on the reimbursement by Health Insurance. The HAS published a favorable opinion (sufficient actual benefit and level III of clinical added value) for the registration of the test in the Nomenclature of Medical Biology Procedures (NABM) in specified indications;
• "Test for determination of the deficiency status of the homologous recombination pathway (HRD)" – the aim was to assess the test with the goal of inclusion in the Nomenclature of Medical Biology Procedures (NABM). The HAS published a favorable opinion (sufficient actual benefit and level III of clinical added value) for the registration of the test in the NABM in specified indications;
• "Transcranial magnetic stimulation for the treatment of depression in adults" – the aim was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerance of the conventional protocol of non-invasive transcranial magnetic stimulation in the acute phase of depression as well as in the consolidation phase of unipolar and drug-resistant depression in adults. The HAS issued an unfavorable opinion (insufficient actual benefit) for the inclusion of the transcranial magnetic stimulation (HF-G protocol) in the treatment of resistant depression in adults in the Common Classification of Medical Procedures (CCAM).

See the details in French here.

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