News and blog posts
27
Feb 2023
In January and February 2023, Ordering Forum for the “New Methods” framework invited interested parties regarding several technologies proposed for evaluation within the framework. The technologies concern arteriovenous fistula for hemodialysis, deep brain stimulation, epidural spinal cord stimulation, and digital chest drain. Ordering Forum will decide whether the technology undergoes evaluation at the national level.
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24
Feb 2023
In February 2023, the Clinical Coding and Schedule Development (CCSD) working group, which develops and maintains procedural and diagnostics nomenclatures for private payers in England, published Bulletins 188 and 084 with changes to be implemented no later than March 23, 2023. Five new procedure codes (concerning interventional radiology, robotic surgery, and radiotherapy) and one new diagnostic code were introduced.
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23
Feb 2023
On February 1, 2023, the Treatment Council made its first two recommendations based on the major analysis reports regarding handheld focused ultrasound in emergency medicine and artificial intelligence as decision support for colonoscopy. The adoption of these technologies was not recommended.
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22
Feb 2023
In February 2023, it was announced that fifty-seven new procedure codes were introduced by the Code Service of the Finnish National Health and Wellbeing Institution (THL). These codes are valid from January 2023. The introduced codes are dedicated to radiology, diagnostic imaging, gastrointestinal, interventional radiology, and some other fields.
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21
Feb 2023
On February 03, 2023, the first UKs medical technology (Medtech) strategy was published by the new Medtech Directorate at the Department of Health and Social Care. The strategy sets the government's ambition to accelerate access to innovative medical technologies, outlines the vision for Medtech, and defines priority areas for action.
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20
Feb 2023
In February 2023, Swedish Medical Technologies Product (MTP) Council announced ongoing horizon scanning within the Orderly introduction framework for medical technologies to be used in benign prostatic hyperplasia. The Dental and Pharmaceutical Benefits Agency (TLV) initiated a theme survey, accepting suggestions until March 31, 2023.
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17
Feb 2023
On January 27, 2023, the Swiss Federal Office for Public Health announced the update of Annex 3 of the Health Care Benefit Ordinance (KLV/OPre), which contains the list of reimbursed IVD tests (List of Analyses). Two new tests on Monkeypox virus check will be introduced in March 2023.
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16
Feb 2023
In February 2023, NICE completed its first early value assessment (EVA) within the medical technologies evaluation program concerning digital cognitive behavioral therapy. EVA guidance aimed to provide quicker conditional recommendations on promising medical technologies (digital products, medical devices, and diagnostics) that address unmet national needs while more evidence is generated.
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15
Feb 2023
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.
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14
Feb 2023
Surgery for rotator cuff tears has been evaluated within the "New Method" framework since 2020. In January 2023, the method assessment phase was completed, and the National Institute of Public Health (NIPH) report was published. As the recommendations from HTA are now available, the Decision Forum needs to make a coverage decision regarding the method.
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13
Feb 2023
On January 31, 2023, the Order approving Addendum 11 to the National Convention for Laboratory Directors was published in the Official Journal of the French Republic. The Addendum implements financial measures provided for by the Social Security Financing Act – reduces the reimbursement tariffs for the tests registered in the main reimbursement catalog for IVD tests in France Nomenclature of Medical Biology Acts (NABM).
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10
Feb 2023
On January 24, 2023, the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare recommended introducing a national screening program for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) in newborns. It will identify children with a homozygous deletion in the SMN1 gene and 1–3 copies of the SMN2 gene. SMA testing must be included in the existing newborn screening (so-called PKU test). The launch of the new screening program is expected in the summer of 2023.
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