Radiotherapy

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.

The revised EBM (German Uniform Evaluation Standard) catalog came into force on October 1, 2021. The most significant changes concern mainly IVD tests: extension of the newborn screening, the introduction of microsatellite instability testing, amendments of Oncotype DX® test reimbursement, the introduction of screening for hepatitis B and C as part of health check-up, as well as changes in reimbursement of radiation therapy services.

At the beginning of September 2021, the Government of the Russian Federation released the preliminary version of the Program of State Guarantees for the period of 2022-2024. Major changes concerned the High-End Medical Care (HEMC) list I, where two new procedures in the cardiovascular and neurovascular field were added. The HEMC list II was expanded with the procedures in the field of radiotherapy, neurology, and neurosurgery, surgical procedures. The final version is expected at the beginning of 2022.

On August 05, 2021, NHS England published an update of the Specialized Services Policy Pipeline (covering April 27, 2021 - July 27, 2021). No new MedTech-related Clinical Commissioning Policies were added to the work program. Nine new policies were published; however, only two concerned MedTech (ECMO and brachytherapy). The status of ongoing policies was updated as well.

The revised EBM (German Uniform Evaluation Standard) catalog came into force on July 1, 2021. Three biomarker tests in breast cancer, a number of services related to cryopreservation of egg and sperm cells in young cancer patients, new services dedicated to prenatal testing of the fetal rhesus factor, services concerning the delivery of brachytherapy in prostate cancer were introduced.

On July 1, 2021, the updated version of the Swiss Services Ordinance (KLV/OPre) came into force. The changes concern the List of explicitly evaluated services (Annex 1 of KLV/OPre), the List of medical aids (Annex 2 of KLV/OPre), and the List of Analyses (Annex 3 of KLV/OPre).

The Health Sciences Institute in Aragon (IACS) systematically evaluates healthcare technologies and facilitates the promotion of research, effective innovation, and decision-making in health services through knowledge management. Currently, the IACS is working on assessments of efficacy, effectiveness, and safety of intraoperative radiation therapy in breast cancer, determination of preeclampsia biomarkers SFlt-1 and PlGF, treatment of congenital ventricular septal defect by cardiac catheterization, and others.

On May 17, 2021, NHS England published an update of the Specialized Services Policy Pipeline (covering the period January 20, 2021 - April 20, 2021). One new Clinical Commissioning Policy related to radiotherapy was added to the work program, and four new policies related to radiotherapy were published in the period from January 20, 2021, to April 20, 2021. Two policies related to heart valve procedures and extracorporeal treatment were discontinued.

On February 24, 2021, NHS England published an update of the Specialized Services Policy Pipeline (covering period November 10, 2020 - February 10, 2021). Two new Clinical Commissioning Policies were added to the work program, and seven new policies were published, including stereotactic ablative radiotherapy, stereotactic radiosurgery and proton therapy. The status of ongoing policies was updated as well.

In January 2021, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published two new interventional procedure guidance (self-expanding implant insertion into the intersphincteric space for faecal incontinence and minimally invasive radical hysterectomy for early stage cervical cancer), two new medical technologies guidance (the PLASMA system for transurethral resection and haemostasis of the prostate, and the VAC Veraflo Therapy system for acute infected or chronic wounds), and six Medtech innovation briefings (Optilume for anterior urethral strictures, AI in mammography, AI for analyzing chest CT images, AcQMap for mapping the heart atria to target ablation treatment, and others). Also, two clinical guidelines were updated.

On January 07, 2021, NHS England published an update of the Specialized Services Policy Pipeline (covering the period October 19, 2020 - December 08, 2020). Two new Clinical Commissioning Policies were added to the work program, and six new policies related to radiotherapy, neurosurgery, pulmonology, and in-vitro diagnostics were published.