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.

Domestic use of motor-driven moving splints (continuous passive motion, CPM) after interventions at the knee or shoulder joint remains covered by statutory health insurance. This has been determined by the G-BA (the Federal Joint Committee).

The Danish National Board of Health sent a new national clinical guideline for treatment with oxygen in the acutely ill adult patient in consultation.

NHSX has officially launched in July 2019 bringing together teams from the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England and NHS Improvement, to lead the largest digital health and social care transformation program in the world. With an investment of more than £1 billion pounds a year nationally and a significant additional spend locally, NHSX has been created to give staff and citizens the technology they need.

The test for severe combined immunodeficiencies (SCID) is part of neonatal screening since July 1, 2019, in Germany. At the beginning of July 2019, the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen) has stated that health care should offer screening for the severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) as approximately two or three children per each year can be diagnosed and treated for the fatal disease with the test available.

The Clinical Coding and Schedule Development (CCSD) group develop and maintains procedural and diagnostics nomenclature for private payers in England. New procedure codes concern mastectomy and immediate reconstruction of the breast, coronary intravascular lithotripsy, angioplasty, insertion of a stent, portal vein embolization, and others and diagnostic codes for tests for primary hyperoxaluria panel, myeloid panel, and hereditary angioedema. The codes are introduced with a recommended adoption date being the 1st of August 2019. The documents also contain a list of textual changes in codes and an updated list of unacceptable combinations of codes.