Prostate cancer

Between late February 2024 and early March 2025, seven 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, 59 health apps are currently available in the DiGA Directory, and ten health apps were delisted from the Directory.

In February 2025, the MTP Council announced national evaluations of two technologies within the Orderly introduction framework in Sweden. The Council commissioned the Dental and Pharmaceutical Benefits Agency (TLV) to perform a health economic evaluation of rectal spacers (SpaceOAR Hydrogel and Barrigel) used during radiotherapy in prostate cancer (re-evaluation) and AI-based solution (Stratipath Breast) for breast cancer risk assessment.

In December 2024, the Skåne University Hospital (HTA South) is working on health technology assessments in several areas, including men’s health and neurology.

In October 2024, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) in England released seven Med Tech-related assessments in its HTA Journal, which concerned the Genedrive kit, timing of stoma closure in neonates, interventions in perceptual disorders after stroke, revascularisation strategy for chronic limb ischemia, MRI software and cognitive fusion biopsies in prostate cancer, transperineal prostate biopsy devices, and ultraviolet therapy in severe eczema. 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 NICE guidance.

In Q3 2024, Health Technology Wales completed three full appraisals with the publication of Evidence Appraisal Report and Guidance (AI for whole slide prostate biopsy images, AI-assisted endoscopy for gastrointestinal cancer, and Floseal in the treatment of epistaxis). Furthermore, 24 Med Tech-related Topic Exploration Reports were published concerning cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, gynecology, e-health, in-vitro diagnostics, and other areas.

On June 18, 2024, the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health published the changes that will occur to the Services Ordinance (KLV/OPre), which determines coverage of medical services in Switzerland. The updates will enter into force on July 1, 2024, and they relate to the list of explicitly evaluated services (Annex 1 of KLV/OPre), outpatient-before-hospital services (Annex 1a), List of Tools and Equipment (Annex 2), and List of Analyses (Annex 3).

The Danish Health Data Authority quarterly updates the Health Care Classification System (SKS). In December 2023, the latest code changes were published to come into force on January 1, 2024. Nine new surgical procedure codes and four new medical (MedTech-related) procedure codes concerning cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, interventional radiology, men’s health, peripheral vascular, radiotherapy, and dermatology were introduced.

In September 2023, the Skåne University Hospital is working on several HTAs, including evaluations in the cardiovascular, diagnostic imaging, men’s health, neurology and neurosurgery fields

In early August 2023, the Polish Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Tariff System (AOTMiT) announced the start of the evaluation of several technologies in men’s health, neuromodulation and in-vitro diagnostics fields.

On July 17, 2022, the Austrian Institute for HTA (AIHTA) published four decision support documents, which provide recommendations regarding the inclusion of new medical interventions in the catalog of individual medical services of the performance-oriented hospital financing (Leistungsorientierten Krankenanstaltenfinanzierung, LKF) model, as well as three updates to previous decision support documents.

In June 2023, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published one new Interventional Procedure Guidance (irreversible electroporation for treating prostate cancer) and one new Diagnostic Guidance (AI-derived computer-aided detection (CAD) software for detecting and measuring lung nodules in CT scan images). Also, three clinical guidelines were updated.

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.