Remote monitoring

On January 1, 2021, the DRG package for 2021 (RZ21) came into force to implement measures for remote provision of specialist medical care introduced during the COVID-19 crisis in 2020, including four new codes for reimbursement of remote consultations.

On December 22, 2020, the National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (INAMI-RIZIV) announced a pilot project which concerns the remote monitoring of COVID-19 patients before and after their hospitalization as part of an integrated medical approach supported by digital applications.

In August 2020, mHealthBelgium announced two more health application accomplished M2 validation - Well@Home and AirView. After achieving M2 level, developers will get access to more options, like risk assessment framework, test centers, a lot of useful information.

The temporary reimbursement for telemedicine and digital care in all healthcare sectors has been extended by the Dutch Healthcare Authority (NZa) until December 31, 2020. In some sectors, the temporary extension will be converted into a structural extension by 2021.

In July 2020, the Austrian Institute for Health Technology Assessment (AIHTA) published five decision support documents. The assessed technologies included implantation of a wireless pulmonary artery pressure sensor in patients with advanced heart failure, intrauterine ultrasound-guided transcervical radiofrequency ablation, percutaneous transvascular implantation of a coronary sinus reducing stent, radiofrequency-induced intravesical chemohyperthermia for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer, and Vascular photodynamic therapy with Padeliporfin (Tookad® solution).

In the second half of July, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published five new Interventional Procedure Guidance for low-intensity pulsed ultrasound to promote healing of fresh fractures at low risk of non-healing, fresh fractures at high risk of non-healing, superior capsular augmentation for massive rotator cuff tears, transaxial interbody lumbosacral fusion for severe chronic low back pain and two new Medtech Innovation Briefings for remote ECG interpretation consultancy services for cardiovascular disease and mechanical thrombectomy devices for acute ischaemic stroke.

Remote follow-up for chronically ill patients is included in a new trial that will start in Norway in autumn 2018. Six municipal cooperation projects received grants to participate in this trial in collaboration with the National Welfare Technology Program (Nasjonalt velferdsteknologiprogram).

HAS published updated program that defines priority areas of work for 2017, including evidence review as part of developing new procedure codes for robotic surgery, endoscopic procedures, and technology assessments of remote monitoring, dialysis, coronary stents and others.