Evidence gap analysis
Strategic analysis of the sufficiency of evidence to obtain reimbursement and HTA approval in Europe and recommendations about evidence generation
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Med Tech-related health technology assessments from NIHR in January 2024
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funds valuable independent research for health and social care decision-makers in England. Reports from the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Programme are published in the NIHR HTA Journal and inform NICE guidance.
In January 2024, one MedTech-related assessment was published in the NIHR HTA Journal concerning clinical outcomes and adverse events of bariatric surgery in adults with severe obesity in Scotland based on a prospective observational cohort study (SCOTS).
The aim of the study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes and adverse events of different bariatric surgical procedures, their impact on quality of life, and the effect on comorbidities. The study recruited participants from 10 NHS Hospitals and four private hospitals that were performing bariatric surgery. Due to the low number of bariatric surgery procedures in Scotland, recruitment was stopped before reaching the intended 2000 participants (445 participants were enrolled), and follow-up was reduced from 10 years to 3 years.
Sleeve gastrectomy was the most common procedure (49.3%), followed by Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) (38.2%) and laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (12.5%).
It was concluded that bariatric surgery is a safe and effective treatment for obesity. However, there are differences between the selection and care of patients undergoing bariatric surgery recruited to this study (and therefore within Scotland) and those having bariatric surgery in other countries, and that may result in the decreased effectiveness, and therefore cost-effectiveness, of bariatric surgery. Patients in Scotland appear to be older and have higher body mass than international comparators, which may be due to the small number of procedures performed.
See the full details here.
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