Med Tech-related technology assessments and clinical guidelines from NICE in March 2019

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).

Interventional Procedure Guidance is developed for most of the novel interventional procedures entering the English market. The program focuses solely on clinical evidence. Recommendations may vary from ‘for research only’ to ‘for use with standard arrangements for clinical governance, consent, and audit.' Recommendations are not binding, although they are followed by providers and commissioners.

In March NICE published two new Interventional Procedure Guidance:

• Interventional Procedure Guidance Barnett Continent Intestinal Reservoir (modified continent ileostomy) to restore continence after colon and rectum removal, which covers evidence-based recommendations on Barnett Continent Intestinal Reservoir (modified continent ileostomy) to restore continence after colon and rectum removal in adults. The evidence on the safety of Barnett Continent Intestinal Reservoir (modified continent ileostomy) to restore continence after colon and rectum removal shows that there are serious but well-recognized safety concerns. Current evidence on its efficacy is limited in quantity and quality. Therefore, this procedure should only be used with special arrangements for clinical governance, consent, and audit or research.
• Interventional Procedure Guidance High-intensity focused ultrasound for symptomatic benign thyroid nodules, which covers evidence-based recommendations on high-intensity focused ultrasound for symptomatic benign thyroid nodules in adults. The evidence on the safety of high-intensity focused ultrasound for symptomatic benign thyroid nodules raises no major safety concerns. However the current evidence on its efficacy is limited in quantity and quality. Therefore, this procedure should only be used with special arrangements for clinical governance, consent, and audit or research.

MedTech Innovation Briefing is the NICE's advice program for innovative technologies. It provides an overview of clinical effectiveness, safety, and cost. It does not offer formal guidance, and it, therefore, does not provide any recommendations

Three new Medtech Innovation Briefings for CADScor system for ruling out coronary artery disease in people with symptoms of stable coronary artery disease (a new acoustic method of detecting coronary artery disease by recording coronary murmurs caused by turbulent flow and myocardial movement), StoneChecker for kidney stone evaluation (a medical imaging software tool, based on texture analysis, which intended use is for evaluating the physical and texture characteristics of kidney stones on non-contrast enhanced CT scan images), and  Prevena incision management system for closed surgical incisions (a single-use technology for the management of closed surgical incisions that may be at increased risk of infection) have been published in March.

See full details here.

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