mHealth

On March 08, 2021, Academic Health Science Networks (ASHN) announced twelve innovators ("Fellows") and innovations selected to join NHS Innovation Accelerator (NIA) award-winning program in 2021. NIA is an NHS England and Improvement initiative delivered in partnership with England's 15 AHSNs, hosted at UCLPartners. All awarded technologies are related to eHealth, including digital platforms, mobile applications, artificial intelligence (AI), wearables for home-based diagnostic.

On February 23, 2021, NHSX launched Digital Technology Assessment Criteria for health and social care (DTAC), the new national criteria designed to provide suppliers and healthcare organizations a clear direction on building and buying good digital health technologies. DTAC will apply to all types of digital health technologies, from public-facing health apps to digital systems used within hospitals. The assessment criteria are focused on five areas: digital technologies will receive a pass or fail in four categories - clinical safety, data protection, technical security and interoperability, and a score on usability and accessibility.

On January 28, 2021, the Innovation Committee at the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) published the first overview of the 28 innovative projects on new forms of medical care that will be funded. The projects concerning the technologies belonging to the cardiovascular, eHealth, orthopedic, neurology, nephrology, and other technology groups received funding.

In January 2021, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published two new interventional procedure guidance (self-expanding implant insertion into the intersphincteric space for faecal incontinence and minimally invasive radical hysterectomy for early stage cervical cancer), two new medical technologies guidance (the PLASMA system for transurethral resection and haemostasis of the prostate, and the VAC Veraflo Therapy system for acute infected or chronic wounds), and six Medtech innovation briefings (Optilume for anterior urethral strictures, AI in mammography, AI for analyzing chest CT images, AcQMap for mapping the heart atria to target ablation treatment, and others). Also, two clinical guidelines were updated.

In January 2021, the NHS AI Lab has launched the guide to good practice for digital and data-driven health and care technologies to support innovators to understand what the NHS is looking for when it buys digital and data-driven technology for use in health and care. It is an update of the initially published guide in 2018, and now also reflect new initiatives, for example, the creation of the Centre for Improving Data Collaboration.

In early January 2021, the new reimbursable health app was introduced on the Directory of digital health applications (DiGAs) at the Federal Office for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM). These applications can be prescribed by physicians and psychotherapists and will be reimbursed by health insurers.

In December 2020, Swedish Medical Technologies Product (MTP) Council decided to evaluate new technologies for self-monitoring of atrial fibrillation within the Orderly introduction framework. MTP Council commissioned the Swedish Dental and Pharmaceutical Benefits Agency (TLV) to perform a health-economic evaluation of Coala Heart Monitor Pro and KardiaMobile; however, other products may also be considered later.

In late December 2020, three more reimbursable health apps in the fields of management of fatigue, migraine and depression were introduced on the Directory of digital health applications (DiGAs) at the Federal Office for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM). These applications can be prescribed by physicians and psychotherapists and will be reimbursed by health insurers.

In early December 2020, one more reimbursable health app was introduced on the Directory of digital health applications (DiGAs) at the Federal Office for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM). These applications can be prescribed by physicians and psychotherapists and will be reimbursed by health insurers.

In Sensible Care projects, the Dutch Healthcare Institute, together with other parties, is investigating the possibilities for improving care pathways for patients. As of early November 2020, there are 30 ongoing projects, including two projects for assessing knee and hip osteoarthritis treatment and medicines for castration-refractory prostate carcinoma at the final evaluation phase.

In late October 2020, three more reimbursable health apps were introduced on the Directory of digital health applications (DiGAs) at the Federal Office for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM). These applications can be prescribed by physicians and psychotherapists and will be reimbursed by health insurers.

The revised EBM (German Uniform Evaluation Standard) catalog for ambulatory reimbursement in Germany came into force on October 1, 2020. MTRC has compiled the selection of the most significant changes, concerning In-vitro diagnostics, telemedicine and vacuum wounds therapy.