Orthopedic procedures

In November 2021, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) in England released three MedTech-related reports in its Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Journal, which concerned delivery for preterm birth, thoracolumbar fracture, and knee replacement. HTA Journal publishes research reports on the effectiveness, costs, and broader impact of health technologies for those who use, manage, and provide care in the NHS and informs National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance.

The HTA body of the Tuscany Regional Healthcare issues two types of documents: HTA forms and motivational forms. With a regional decree 20520 of November 22, 2021, Tuscany Regional Healthcare has published assessments of seventeen medical devices of various therapeutic areas, including devices belonging to neurology, as well as gastrointestinal, urology, cardiovascular, orthopedics, peripheral vascular, and other fields of care.

In late November 2021, the INeK (Institute for the Hospital Remuneration System) has published the DRG catalog (Fallpauschalen-Katalog) with the list of DRGs and add-on reimbursement categories (ZEs) for 2022. Seven new DRGs and seventeen ZE categories were added to the catalog in 2022.

In early October 2021, three more health apps were introduced in the Directory of digital health applications (DiGAs) at the Federal Office for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) and thus became reimbursable. These apps can be prescribed by physicians and psychotherapists and will be reimbursed by health insurers. In total, 23 health apps are now available at the DiGA Directory.

In late September 2021, the Clinical Coding and Schedule Development (CCSD) working group, which develops and maintains procedural and diagnostics nomenclature for private payers in England, has published Bulletins 0179 and 0076 with changes to be implemented no later than January 01, 2022. Four new procedure codes related to gynecology, robotic surgery in the pulmonology area, and orthopedics, and four new diagnostic codes were introduced.

In September 2021, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published three new Interventional Procedure Guidance on transapical transcatheter mitral valve-in-valve implantation for a failed surgically implanted mitral valve bioprosthesis, transapical transcatheter mitral valve-in-ring (TMVIR) after failed annuloplasty for mitral valve repair, and lateral elbow resurfacing for arthritis

In August 2021, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published three new Interventional Procedure Guidance (magnetic resonance therapy for knee osteoarthritis, laparoscopic removal of uterine fibroids with power morcellation, hysteroscopic mechanical tissue removal for uterine fibroids), and six new Medtech Innovation Briefings (PLASMA system with button electrode, Immunoscore, MMprofiler, Patient Status Engine, lung texture analysis, Colli-Pee). Also, five clinical guidelines were published.

On August 16, 2021, the preliminary version of OPS 2022 was published. Numerous content updates and new procedure codes concern chapters 5 “Operations” and 8 “Non-operative therapeutic measures”. Also, minor changes were made in chapters 1, “Diagnostic measures” and 3, “Diagnostic imaging”.New codes were introduced in the peripheral vascular, cardiovascular, nephrology and urology, endoscopy, gastroenterology, otorhinolaryngology, interventional radiology, orthopedics, pulmonary and airways, and other fields of care.

On July 30, 2021, the Swiss Federal Statistics Office (UFS) published the 2022 version of the procedure code (CHOP) nomenclature in the German language. The newly introduced codes concern various technology groups, such as cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, neurology, interventional radiology, orthopedics, gynecology, and others.

In July 2021, the Austrian Institute for Health Technology Assessment (AIHTA) published six new decision support documents and one update to a previous decision support document. The assessed topics included percutaneous left ventricular assist devices, liposuction for surgical therapy of lipoedema, triphasic biomaterial for augmentation of the osteoporotic femoral neck, endoscopic plication therapy in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), allogenic bone screw Shark Screw® in patients with hallux valgus or scaphoid fractures/pseudarthroses, and surgical interventions for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. The updated decision support document concerned implantable bulking agents for fecal incontinence.

In March 2021, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published four new Interventional Procedure Guidance (transcervical ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation for symptomatic uterine fibroids, extracorporeal whole liver perfusion, free-functioning gracilis transfer to restore upper limb function, cytoreduction surgery with hyperthermic intraoperative peritoneal chemotherapy), two Medical Technologies Guidance (Danis stent for acute oesophageal variceal bleeding, Alpha-Stim AID for anxiety disorders), two Medtech Innovation Briefings (Sonata system for symptomatic uterine fibroids, Butterfly iQ+ for diagnostic ultrasound), and one Diagnostic Guidance (QAngio XA 3D QFR and CAAS vFFR imaging software for assessing coronary stenosis). Also, five clinical guidelines were updated.

In March 2021, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) in England released six MedTech-related reports in its Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Journal, which concerned sacral nerve stimulation and magnetic sphincter augmentation device for fecal incontinence treatment, patch augmentation surgery for rotator cuff repair, in-vitro diagnostics, and eHealth. HTA Journal publishes research reports on the effectiveness, costs, and broader impact of health technologies for those who use, manage, and provide care in the NHS and inform National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance.