Radiotherapy

In February 2023, the Clinical Coding and Schedule Development (CCSD) working group, which develops and maintains procedural and diagnostics nomenclatures for private payers in England, published Bulletins 188 and 084 with changes to be implemented no later than March 23, 2023. Five new procedure codes (concerning interventional radiology, robotic surgery, and radiotherapy) and one new diagnostic code were introduced.

In February 2023, it was announced that the Basque Office for Health Technology Assessment (OSTEBA) initiated several HTAs, including evaluations in the e-health, radiology, nephrology and urology, cardiovascular, IVD, obstetrics and gynecology, diagnostic imaging, radiotherapy, neurovascular, ENT, interventional radiology, surgical procedures, and some other fields.

In December 2022, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published one new Medical Technologies Guidance (Memokath 051 Ureter stent for ureteric obstruction) and one MedTech Innovation Briefing (PromarkerD). Also, two new clinical guidelines were published, and one was updated.

The French National Authority for Health released new recommendations about add-on reimbursement of medical devices from the meetings of the National Commission for Evaluation of Medical Devices and Health Technologies in August 2022. One recommendation was published in relation to the registration for devices in the List of reimbursable products and services (LPPR List). The opinion concerns men’s health area.

In the second quarter of 2022, Health Technology Wales (HTW) published four MedTech-related guidance (extreme hypofractionated radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer, video laryngoscopes for use in pre-hospital care, electronic blood management systems, and stereotactic ablative radiotherapy for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma). A total of 12 MedTech-related Topic Exploration Reports (TERs) were released in Q2. Based on the TERs conclusions, HTW decided to proceed with a full appraisal on three topics – photobiomodulation, topical oxygen therapy (NATROX) in chronic wounds, and video feedback interventions.

On May 31, 2022, Regional Cancer Centers collaboration (RCC) updated the national care program for breast cancer. New and updated recommendations concerned genetic testing, molecular diagnostic, de-escalation of surgical treatment for certain patient groups, radiotherapy regimens, and pharmacotherapy. A new chapter was added on breast cancer in men.

On May 31, 2022, it was announced by the Ministry of Health that the Council of Ministers authorized the distribution of almost €400 million for the renovation of high-tech equipment in the National Health System (SNS) through the High-End Technology Equipment Investment Plan (INVEAT) of the SNS.

In April 2022, the Dutch Healthcare Institute (Zorginstituut Nederland, ZIN) announced two projects which received a subsidy under the "Subsidy scheme for promising care" in 2022 for research of a transcatheter tricuspid valve repair in severe leakage of the tricuspid valve and precision radiation in epilepsy. In total, five projects will receive a subsidy in 2022.

On March 16, 2022, the Swedish Medical Technologies Product (MTP) Council released recommendations for SpaceOAR Hydrogel and Barrigel used to reduce the side effects of radiotherapy in prostate cancer. MTP Council recommended the regions wait with the use of technologies until more knowledge is available or use them only within the clinical trials.

On January 18, 2022, the Ministry of Health has awarded the Framework Agreement for the acquisition of 81 linear accelerators included in the High-End Technology Equipment Investment Plan. Furthermore, the National Institute of Health Management (INGESA) has also initiated the processing of the Framework Agreement that will facilitate the acquisition of the equipment in the fields of interventional cardiology, interventional vascular radiology, interventional neurovascular, digital brachytherapy, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, PET-CT, SPECT-CT.

In late January 2022, 19 new procedure codes were introduced by the Code Service of the Finnish National Health and Wellbeing Institution (THL). The introduced codes are dedicated to diagnostic imaging and image-guided interventions.

Dutch Organization for Health Research and Development, ZonMw awarded eight projects under the "Healthcare Evaluation and Appropriate Use" program, including two projects for geriatric care, two projects for cancer, per one project for cardiovascular, neurovascular, and dermatology care.