Spain

On November 13, 2023, the Agency for Health Quality and Assessment of Catalonia released a user guide on the health technology assessment framework: adaptation for digital health technology (DHT) assessment. The guidelines described can be equally useful for HTA agencies, researchers, and developers of DHT, decision-makers, and regulators.

On October 20, 2023, the Spanish Ministry of Health announced that a budget of 130 million euros was allocated to support the upcoming launch of the Personalized Digital Care Plan. Healthcare digitalization is already a well-established reality that materialized into the Digital Health Strategy with more than 800 million euros budget allocated since 2021 after the COVID-19 pandemic.

In late October 2023, the Basque Office for Health Technology Assessment (OSTEBA) is working on several HTAs, including the evaluations in the cardiovascular, diagnostic imaging, e-health, ENT, ICU/OR, nephrology and urology, IVD, neurovascular, obstetrics and gynecology, surgical procedures, and some other fields.

In September 2023, the Health Sciences Institute in Aragon (IACS) is working on several HTAs, including evaluations in diagnostic imaging, endocrine, IVD, neuromodulation, orthopedics, peripheral vascular, and some other fields.

In September 2023, the Galician Agency for Health Technology Assessment (AVALIA-T) is working on several HTAs, including the evaluations in the cardiovascular, e-health, endoscopy, extracorporeal treatment, ICU/OR, nephrology and urology, IVD, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedics, peripheral vascular, pulmonary and airways, surgical procedures, and some other fields.

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.

In August 2023, the Basque Office for Health Technology Assessment (OSTEBA) is working on several HTAs, including the evaluations in the cardiovascular, diagnostic imaging, e-health, ENT, ICU/OR, nephrology and urology, IVD, neurovascular, obstetrics and gynecology, surgical procedures, and some other fields.

n the period of April-May 2023, the Galician Agency for Health Technology Assessment (AVALIA-T) initiated the five health technology assessments referred to IVD, nephrology and urology, obstetrics and gynecology, pulmonary and airways as well as surgical procedures technology groups. The assessments on stereotactic virtual navigation system for percutaneous puncture as well as tumor ablation and invasive telemonitoring of pulmonary pressure in patients with heart failure were released.

In April and May 2023, it was announced that the Galician Agency for Health Technology Assessment (AVALIA-T) initiated several HTAs, including the evaluations in the e-health, nephrology and urology, men’s health, IVD, obstetrics and gynecology, pulmonary and airways, surgical procedures, and some other fields.

In March 2023, the Spanish Network of Health Technology and Services Assessment Agencies of the National Health System (RedETS) published its 2022-2025 Strategic Plan. The objective of the Plan is to define the main lines of the activities to be carried out and the decision criteria to be used during the 2022-2025 period in order to respond to the needs of the National Health System and continue on the path of excellence.

The Ministry of Health has commissioned the Agency for Health Quality and Assessment of Catalonia (AQuAS) to develop, with the collaboration of the various agencies that make up the Spanish Network of Agencies for the Evaluation of Health Technologies and Benefits (RedETS), a specific methodological framework for the evaluation of digital health technologies that would allow a comprehensive assessment of this type of technology. The methodological framework is in the final phase of development.

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.