In late July 2019, the report of the project OTJA10, titled “Stool DNA testing for early detection of colorectal cancer” was published on the website of the European Network for HTA (EUnetHTA).

The draft for a “Digital Supply Law,” approved by the Cabinet on July 10, 2019, promotes digitization in the health sector. Among other things, the law should help to accelerate the integration of digital applications into the standard care, to further develop and promote the use of the electronic patient record (ePA), to strengthen telemedicine and to connect more actors to the telematics infrastructure.

In July 2019, the Health Technology Evaluation Service of the Basque County, OSTEBA, published a report titled “Indications, utility, and use of ultrasound in primary care.”

The HTA center of Swedish Västra Götaland region has published a report for the effectiveness of laminar versus turbulent airflow in operating theaters, with regard to risk for postoperative surgical infections. It was concluded that vertical laminar airflow, compared with any other type of ventilation system in operating rooms, is probably associated with a further reduction of CFU concentration in air sampled near the operation table.

New material codes for hearing aids were added to the List of reimbursable devices of the Belgian National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (INAMI-RIZIV) in August 2019.

In July 2019, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) has released a report for the effectiveness of treatment for knee osteoarthritis to summarize key findings from systematic reviews about relevant treatment options to ease the symptoms in patients with arthritis in the knee. It was outlined that self-management education program and physical aids give little or no difference in pain, whereas noncompartmental knee arthroplasty is superior to total knee arthroplasty in pain.

With the preventive program for pregnant women, "Hello Baby," premature births and infection-related birth complications should be minimized. Now, the program has been established nationwide: 60 health insurance companies offer to their approximately 6.5 million insured since July 1, 2019, the additional tests contained therein.

Zorg van Nu information team published a brochure with regulations for stimulating digital care in the Netherlands. The brochure with the description of 16 schemes clearly explains which regulations are applicable for which e-health innovations.

The HTA center of Swedish Västra Götaland region has published a report for effectiveness and safety of microsurgical testicular sperm extraction (TESE) in infertile men with non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) and concluded that it is uncertain whether there is any difference in complication rates for micro-TESE compared with testicular sperm aspiration (TESA). There is a need for extensive high-quality studies comparing results of micro-TESE with TESA

Explanation about the coding of selective intravascular radiotherapy (SIRT) with microspheres labeled with holmium-166, and of creation of intracardiac septal defect with implantation of an interauricular implant (percutaneous transluminal) in Switzerland was released by SwissDRG on July 26, and July 31, 2019, respectively.

MTRC has released additional reimbursement overviews of hospital payment systems in European countries, including Greece, the Netherlands, Poland and Russia. In August-September 2019, the overviews for Belgium, Canada, Estonia, Turkey and USA are planned. Also, MTRC will shortly release the basic course on introduction into market access for IVD tests.

The HTA center of Swedish Västra Götaland region has published a report for gene expression profiles to guide adjuvant chemotherapy in luminal, HER2-negative breast cancer. It was concluded that withholding adjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer patients with intermediate clinical risk of recurrence and low/intermediate risk according to a gene expression assay, compared with providing chemotherapy, probably results in little or no difference in overall survival within nine years and can probably not exclude a small increased risk of recurrence.