In February 2024, the Danish Health Technology Council (Behandlingsrådet) completed three assessments. The Council made positive recommendations regarding home non-invasive ventilation for patients with COPD and non-surgical management for the treatment of distal radius fractures in patients over 65 years. Guided internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for the treatment of adults with mild or moderate depression was not recommended.

MTRC released several short (2-4 minutes) educational videos on its YouTube channel: “Three common market access barriers for medical technologies”, “Reimbursement models and incentives for healthcare providers”, “How to spot a well-functioning DRG system?” and “Market access challenges for different types of medical technologies”. Videos can be of interest to an audience of both market access professionals and those new to the field of reimbursement, funding, HTA and market access for medical technologies in Europe.

MTRC shares the most relevant and impactful publications in the field of market access and HEOR for medical technologies in Europe through its Publications Digest. In a recent publication, Dittrich et al. conducted a systematic review to assess the evidence quality and manufacturers' approaches regarding digital health applications (DiGA) in Germany following the Digital Healthcare Act. The results revealed evidence-related gaps, such as the relatively low quality of most of the available studies for inclusion in the DiGA directory with high potential for bias and limited external generalizability. The authors highlighted the need for addressing found evidence gaps and further studies of higher quality to improve the evidence base concerning the benefits of prescribable apps.

On January 19, 2024, the Innovation Committee at the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) published the decision recommending the transfer to standard care for another completed project. The project evaluated the web-based initial assessment tool SmED in outpatient emergency care.

On January 26, 2024, NHS England announced the third round of the Innovation Open Call, funded by the NHS Cancer Programme. All types of late-stage innovations aimed at early detection and diagnosis of cancer are eligible, including medical devices, in-vitro diagnostics, digital health solutions, and AI. Awarded projects will be 100% funded up to the total value of £4 million to produce and evaluate evidence in a real-world setting, supporting adoption and spread by providers, commissioners, and regulators. The application submission will be open on April 8, 2024.

In February 2024, the Skåne University Hospital is working on several HTAs, including evaluations in the cardiovascular, e-health, endocrine, men’s health, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics fields.

Between mid-January 2024 and mid-February 2024, three more health apps were introduced in the Directory of digital health applications (DiGAs) at the Federal Office for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) and thus became reimbursable. These apps can be prescribed by physicians and psychotherapists and will be reimbursed by health insurers. In total, 56 health apps are currently available in the DiGA Directory, and six health apps were delisted from the Directory.

MTRC shares the most relevant and impactful publications in the field of market access and HEOR for medical technologies in Europe through its Publications Digest. In a recent publication, Eckhardt et al. investigated the evolution of clinical evidence and the utilization of 25 innovative technologies in German inpatient care. Through systematic searches and empirical analysis, the authors revealed that the body of clinical evidence per technology often consisted mainly of non-comparative studies, and its robustness increased over time for many but not all technologies. The results highlighted the need for strengthened market approval standards, HTA pathways, and approaches like coverage with evidence development to ensure informed reimbursement decisions.

On January 22, 2024, NHS England published a 5-year implementation strategy for Hybrid closed loop (HCL) technologies following the NICE technology appraisal (TA943) publication. As a rule, commissioners and providers must implement TA recommendations within three months. However, an agreed five-year implementation will allow NHS to build specialist competencies and cost-effective procurement. NHS England will fund integrated care boards to reimburse the use of HCL systems

The French National Authority for Health (HAS) released new recommendations about add-on reimbursement of medical devices and medical aids from the meetings of the National Commission for Evaluation of Medical Devices and Health Technologies (CNEDiMTS) in January 2024. Twelve recommendations were published concerning the registration of medical devices or modification of registration conditions with the extension of indications for the medical devices in the List of Reimbursable Products and Services (LPPR). Opinions concern cardiovascular, peripheral vascular, interventional radiology, neurovascular, ophthalmology, men’s health, and endoscopy devices, as well as medical aids.

MTRC shares the most relevant and impactful publications in the field of market access and HEOR for medical technologies in Europe through its Publications Digest. In a recent publication, Cangelosi et al. conducted a systematic review to assess how data from health technology assessments (HTAs) informs procurement decisions for medical devices. By synthesizing evidence from 11 relevant studies, the authors aimed to identify the criteria used in purchasing decisions, highlighting the minimal evidence of HTA influencing procurement. The authors emphasized the unmet need for enhanced transparency, incentivization for publishing procurement-related work, and further research to strengthen the connection between HTA and procurement, ultimately aiming to optimize resource allocation and expand access to innovative medical technologies within healthcare systems.

In January 2024, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published three new Interventional Procedure Guidance (intravascular lithotripsy in peripheral arterial disease, temperature control after cardiac arrest, and pharyngeal electrical stimulation for neurogenic dysphagia) and one new Diagnostics Guidance (AI-derived software to help clinical decision making in stroke). Furthermore, one Diagnostics Guidance and five clinical guidelines were updated.