At the end of January, 2018, the National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialtyrelsen) has published updated Guidelines for management of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The few recommendations on drug treatment and management of COPD were updated.

In January 2018, the Spanish Network of Technology and Services Evaluation Agencies of the National Health System (REDETS), together with the Basque regional government, has published a health technology assessment report on high intensity focused ultrasound in Tremor Essential, developed by the Basque Office for Health Technology Assessment.

The Clinical Coding and Schedule Development Group develops and maintains procedural and diagnostics nomenclature for private payers in England. In February new codes for genetic tests and immunological tests for infections were added to the CCSD Schedule.

The NHS has selected 138 entrepreneurs to design and deliver new technological solutions and innovations in healthcare, including sickle cell disease and allergic reactions.

The Dutch Healthcare Authority (Nederlandse Zorgautoriteit) has published a draft version of the DBC package for specialist medical care for 2019 (RZ19a).

The background for updating the National Clinical Guideline for Treatment of Brain Metastases is that local treatment (stereotactic radiation therapy) has gained more space in the treatment of brain metastases.

The Clinical Coding and Schedule Development Group develops and maintains procedural and diagnostics nomenclature for private payers in England. In February new codes for preparation and delivery of radiotherapy, knee resurfacing arthroplasty, balloon dilatation of the Eustachian tube and MRI-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) thalamotomy for essential tremor were added to the CCSD Schedule.

Interstitial low-dose rate brachytherapy was commissioned to the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) by the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) in order to analyze the current knowledge on procedure.

In the first half of March, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published two new Interventional Procedures Guidance (laparoscopic mesh pectopexy for apical prolapse of the uterus or vagina and mosaicplasty for symptomatic articular cartilage defects of the knee) and one new Technology appraisal guidance for autologous chondrocyte implantation using chondrosphere for treating symptomatic articular cartilage defects of the knee.

The Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) released the final report on the assessment of benefit for telemonitoring of cardiac implantable electronic devices compared to a standard treatment without telemonitoring in patients with ventricular tachyarrhythmias and / or heart failure. It was concluded that the benefits of the telemonitoring for patients with cardiac failure or heart rhythm disorders with a fast heart rate remain unclear.

In January 2018, the Galician HTA body, Avalia-T, released the technical review of The Vivistim® system, an implantable device for upper-limb rehabilitation after stroke. Evidence was found to be very limited to advice on the implementation of the technology.

In January 2018, the Institute for the Hospital Remuneration System (InEK) has published the List of the requests for innovation funding (NUB). Out of 705 requests for drugs and technologies, 171 (24%) received the positive status 1, and 72 of them were the requests for the medical technologies.