Osteoarthritis

The HTA body of the Tuscany Regional Healthcare issues three types of documents: full HTA reports, rapid HTA reports, and motivational forms. With regional decree 26990 of December 18, 2023, Tuscany Regional Healthcare has published assessments of three medical devices in the peripheral vascular, orthopedic, and dermatology areas.

In December 2023, the Austrian Institute for HTA published Rapid reviews of two health technologies: endovenous laser therapy for varicose veins of the lower extremities and autologous fat transplantation for osteoarthritis.

In August 2023, the Evaluation and Planning Service of the Canary Islands Health Service (SESCS) is working on several HTAs, including evaluations in the cardiovascular, endocrine, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, surgical procedures, and some other fields.

Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) is an independent statutory authority that develops national health technology assessments to support decision-making in Ireland. In the second quarter of 2023, HIQA published one new Med Tech-related assessment concerning slot-scanning biplanar digital X-ray imaging systems for orthopedic conditions.

In August 2023, NHS England announced the first technology (AposHealth) that will be supported by the MedTech Funding Mandate (MTFM) in 2023/24. MTFM supports NICE-approved, clinically effective, and cost-saving medical devices, diagnostics, and digital technologies, making it mandatory for commissioners and providers to implement them.

In June 2023, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published five new Interventional Procedure Guidance (intraoperative electron beam radiotherapy, minimally invasive fusionless posterior-approach surgery to correct idiopathic scoliosis, endoscopic ultrasound-guided gallbladder drainage, radiofrequency denervation for osteoarthritic knee pain, and Botulinum toxin type A injections into the urethral sphincter), two new Diagnostic Guidance (transperineal biopsy for prostate cancer, and FibroScan for liver fibrosis and cirrhosis), and two Medtech Innovation Briefings (MiraQ cardiac TTFM, Proov Confirm; their development started before April 2023). Also, four clinical guidelines were updated.

In April 2023, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published seven new Interventional Procedure Guidance (concerned Daytime intraoral neuromuscular electrical tongue stimulation, endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage, maximal cytoreductive surgery in ovarian cancer, percutaneous thoracic duct embolization, radiofrequency ablation for spinal metastases, high-intensity focused ultrasound for prostate cancer), one new Medical Technologies Guidance (AposHealth for knee osteoarthritis), and one Medtech Innovation Briefing (Fasciotens for abdominal wall closure). Also, three clinical guidelines were updated.

In March 2023, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) in England released two MedTech-related reports in its Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Journal, which concerned total ankle replacement versus ankle arthrodesis in end-stage osteoarthritis, and techniques for managing an impacted fetal head during emergency cesarean section. 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.

In the fourth quarter of 2022, Health Technology Wales published three MedTech-related guidance (Left atrial appendage occlusion in patients with atrial fibrillation, continuous topical oxygen therapy, and virtual reality distraction therapy). Four Topic Exploration Reports were released as well (virtual wards, genetic testing for prostate cancer, autofluorescence imaging, and geniculate artery embolization); however, Health Technology Wales decided not to proceed with complete appraisals on these topics.

In late September – early October 2022, 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 sickness funds.

In June 2022, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published three new Interventional Procedure Guidance (vertebral body tethering for idiopathic scoliosis, nerve graft for corneal denervation, and synthetic cartilage implant insertion for first metatarsophalangeal joint osteoarthritis). Also, four new clinical guidelines were published.

In May 2022, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published three new Interventional Procedure Guidance (endoanchoring systems in endovascular aortic aneurysm repair, supercapsular percutaneously assisted total hip arthroplasty for osteoarthritis, personalized external aortic root support using mesh in people with Marfan syndrome), one Medical Technologies Guidance (Sleepio to treat insomnia and insomnia symptoms), and six Medtech innovation Briefings (ViewSite Brain Access System, Granulox for managing chronic wounds, AMBLor for identifying melanomas, Bladder EpiCheck for detecting bladder cancer recurrence, and others). No MedTech-related clinical guidelines were published.