Ongoing HTA by the Scottish Health Technologies Group in October 2025

The Scottish Health Technologies Group (SHTG) is a national health technology assessment (HTA) body within Healthcare Improvement Scotland. Its primary role is to offer evidence-based advice to NHS Scotland on the use of non-medicine health technologies, such as devices, diagnostics, digital tools, and procedures, to inform safe, cost-effective, and equitable care decisions across Scotland.

SHTG produces three main types of HTA outputs: Recommendations, Assessments, and Innovative Medical Technology Overviews (IMTOs)..

SHTG Recommendations are comprehensive HTAs developed within 6–9 months by a national committee in consultation with key stakeholders. They consider clinical effectiveness, safety, cost-effectiveness, patient and public perspectives, expert opinions, and potential social or organizational impacts. Where appropriate, SHTG may adapt external HTAs. Health Boards and Integration Authorities in Scotland are required to consider SHTG Recommendations in their decision-making..

As of October 2025, SHTG is developing three new Recommendations on:

• Virtual wards;
• Robotic Assisted Bronchoscopy
• Specialist interventions for managing chronic non-malignant pain in adults.

SHTG Assessments provide targeted analytical support for health and social care decision-making and are typically completed within 3–6 months. They may include a critical appraisal or summary of existing evidence, and where relevant, primary analyses such as economic modelling or budget impact assessments. Assessments do not include formal recommendations and are issued “for information” only.

As of October 2025, SHTG is developing an Assessment regarding Surgical Care Practitioners.

SHTG IMTOs are rapid, light-touch overviews of emerging evidence for innovative technologies, developed within 1–2 months. They describe the technology and its innovative aspects, outline potential impacts on health and social care in Scotland, and summarize the strengths and weaknesses of the evidence base. Same as Assessments, IMTOs provide no recommendations and are published “for information” only.

As of October 2025, SHTG is developing three IMTOs on:

• Esaote extremity MRI scanners;
• Intelligent Liver Function Testing (iLFT) for the earlier diagnosis of chronic liver disease;
• Home-testing devices for diagnosing obstructive sleep apnoea hypopnoea syndrome.

See the full details in English here.

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