In-vitro diagnostic tests

The Clinical Coding and Schedule Development Group develops and maintains procedural and diagnostics nomenclature for private payers in England. In November new codes for allergy diagnostics, diagnostic profiles for certain diseases and detection of antibodies against Chlamydia were added to the CCSD Schedule.

In the first half of November, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published two new interventional procedures guidance (for total distal radioulnar joint replacement in symptomatic joint instability or arthritis and extracranial to intracranial bypass in intracranial atherosclerosis), one new diagnostics guidance for tests to identify people at high risk of ovarian cancer and four new Medtech innovation briefings.

The Clinical Coding and Schedule Development Group develops and maintains procedural and diagnostics nomenclature for private payers in England. New codes were added for nitrogen washout test for lung capacity and fractional flow reserve CT measurement.

Following the request of a patient organization, the Joint Federal Committee (G-BA) evaluated the newborn screening for tyrosinemia type I by tandem mass spectrometry and decided to include the method into the relevant guideline. Before the method can be applied and reimbursed in the statutory health insurance (SHI) in Germany, the Genetic Diagnostics Act requires approval by the Genetic Diagnostics Commission (GEKO).

In June of 2017, the Ordering Forum RHF commissioned rapid method assessment for the Prosigna test. Only when the Norwegian Institute of Public Health receives documentation from the suppliers they carry out a quick method assessment. On 16th of the October, suppliers were requested to submit data to the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) regarding clinical efficacy, safety and economics of Prosigna test.

On 25th of September, the Norwegian Decision Forum of “New Methods” had a meeting to review several medical technologies and IVD tests. Decisions were made in relation to the introduction of 2 new newborn screening tests, prehospital emergency thoracotomy, aortic valve replacement using sutureless stent Perceval, and digital breast tomosynthesis.

The Clinical Coding and Schedule Development Group develops and maintains procedural and diagnostics nomenclature for private payers in England. New diagnostic codes cover different indications and analytical methods.

Ministry of Health will close applications for proposals for inclusion of novel innovative tests into the List of Acts Outside Nomenclature in 2018 (Référentiel des actes Innovants Hors Nomenclatures, RIHN) 3rd of October 2017. RIHN provides early reimbursement for innovative tests, for which value is not yet validated to allow enlisting in the NABM Nomenclature.

In the second two weeks of July, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published one new (FebriDx for C-reactive protein and Myxovirus resistance protein A testing in primary care) and 3 updated Medtech Innovation Briefings, new Diagnostics Guidance for quantitative faecal immunochemical tests to guide referral for colorectal cancer in primary care and three new Interventional Procedures Guidance for laparoscopic insertion of a magnetic titanium ring for gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, transcatheter aortic valve implantation for aortic stenosis and hysteroscopic sterilisation by insertion of intrafallopian implants.

European Network for health technology assessment (EUnetHTA) is initiating a project on assessment of screening of fetal aneuploidies (trisomy 13, 18 and 21) using non-invasive prenatal test (NIPT) in collaboration with Galician Agency for Health Technology Assessment (AVALIA-T) and Italian HTA agency Regione Emilia-Romagna. Completion of the project is planned to be on 30th of January, 2018 and aimed to evaluate effectiveness and safety of prenatal screening with NIPT, and also to assess organizational, ethical, legal issues and patient outcomes associated with this procedure.

Changes will be made in eleven chapters of Nomenclature. In relation to medical technologies and in-vitro diagnostics, the most important changes include changes in conditions for Stomatology, Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine codes, introduction of new codes for IVD tests, including diagnostics of tuberculosis and screening for EGFR mutation.