MedTech-related technology assessments and clinical guidelines from NICE in July 2023

NICE develops Interventional Procedures Guidance (IPG) 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 July 2023, NICE published one new IPG on irreversible electroporation for treating prostate cancer, which recommended the procedure to be used with special arrangements for clinical governance, consent, and audit or research.

The Diagnostic Guidance (DG) program focuses on evaluating innovative medical diagnostic technologies to ensure that the NHS can adopt clinically and cost-effective technologies rapidly and consistently.

In July 2023, NICE published one new DG on AI-derived computer-aided detection (CAD) software for detecting and measuring lung nodules in CT scan images. NICE assessed eleven products and made common recommendations depending on clinical indications:

• In people having a CT scan because of suspected lung cancer or for reasons not related to lung cancer, there is not enough evidence to recommend AI-derived CAD software alongside clinician review of CT scan images. Thus, these technologies should only be used in research to help detect, measure, and assess the growth of lung nodules;
• In people having a chest CT scan as part of targeted lung cancer screening, AI-derived CAD software has the potential to be cost-effective. But there is insufficient evidence to determine which technology is the most clinically and cost-effective. Centers already using these technologies should generate further evidence. This is to make sure the potential benefits are realized in practice for people having screening and for clinicians using the software and to allow comparisons between the different software;

Three clinical guidelines were updated in July 2023:

• Oesophago-gastric cancer: assessment and management in adults - the evidence was reviewed, and new recommendations were made on palliative management of luminal obstruction with no curative intent for adults with oesophageal or oesophago-gastric junctional cancer;
• Lung cancer: diagnosis and management – updates concerned pharmacotherapy;
• Obesity: identification, assessment, and management -  the evidence on bariatric surgery for people living with overweight and obesity was reviewed, and the recommendations were updated on surgical interventions.

See the full details here.

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