Telemedicine

In December 2021, NHSX announced that the new elective recovery tech fund would support over 400 innovative digital technologies. The fund has been established to help NHS organizations accelerate the uptake of digitally supported elective care. Up to £250 million has been made available to Integrated Care Systems as a part of a £700 million Targeted Investment Fund intended to speed up elective recovery and tackle waiting lists.

The French Ministry of Solidarity and Health constantly announces the new experiments initiated under Article 51 of the Social Security Financing Act. These experiments are focused on various topics concerning medical technologies and the organization of care. At the end of December 2021, new experiments were announced which relate to coordinated care of patients with long-term illnesses, telerehabilitation program for patients with COPD, care pathway for patients suffering from lymphedema, surgery for pterygium, and others.

In April 2021, the Austrian Institute for Health Technology Assessment (AIHTA) initiated several new research projects. The projects are related to IVD tests for early detection of colon cancer, telemedical care in diabetes field, health apps, screening methods, consequences of coronavirus pandemic, and other topics.

In March 2021, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) in England released six MedTech-related reports in its Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Journal, which concerned sacral nerve stimulation and magnetic sphincter augmentation device for fecal incontinence treatment, patch augmentation surgery for rotator cuff repair, in-vitro diagnostics, and eHealth. 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 inform National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance.

On January 28, 2021, the Innovation Committee at the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) published the first overview of the 28 innovative projects on new forms of medical care that will be funded. The projects concerning the technologies belonging to the cardiovascular, eHealth, orthopedic, neurology, nephrology, and other technology groups received funding.

The revised EBM (German Uniform Evaluation Standard) catalog for ambulatory reimbursement in Germany came into force on October 1, 2020. MTRC has compiled the selection of the most significant changes, concerning In-vitro diagnostics, telemedicine and vacuum wounds therapy.

In spring 2020, the French High Authority for Health, HAS, has announced the call for public consultation with the purpose of developing a draft functional classification of the digital solutions (for example, health apps, web platforms). The call ends on June 30, 2020.

Belgian National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (INAMI-RIZIV) has introduced two new service codes for physicians’ teleconsultation regarding COVID-19. INAMI Insurance Committee established a reimbursement fee of €20.

In late January 2020, the Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin and health insurance provider Barmer have signed an integrated care contract for the telemedical management of patients with chronic heart failure. Also, the benefit assessment process at the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) has already started, and a result is expected in spring 2021.

With the support of Aaron.ai, the first health application from the project “KBV Future Practice” ("KBV-Zukunftspraxis") was launched in Germany. About 50 medical practices are now testing the smart telephone assistant in their daily work. The evaluation of the practical tests is carried out by the Charité.

In order to promote the video consultations, the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV) and the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds (GKV-Spitzenverband) have agreed on several new regulations. Thus, a video consultation will also be possible if the patient has not been previously treated by the doctor. For psychotherapies, the video consultations were reopened.

At the beginning of August 2019, North Rhine-Westphalia presented the plans for “Virtual Hospital,” a digital platform that will bundle specialist expertise nationwide and make it more accessible.