Endoscopic procedures

On October 31, 2024, the Swiss Federal Statistics Office (UFS) released the systematic version of the procedure code (CHOP) nomenclature for 2025. The nomenclature is now available in German, Italian, and French languages and will come into force on January 1, 2025. Multiple new procedure codes were introduced in various fields, including endoscopy, extracorporeal treatments, in-vitro diagnostics, interventional radiology, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedics, and radiotherapy.

On October 24, 2024, the BfArM (Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices) published the final version of the 2025 OPS procedure coding classification. The OPS, together with the ICD-10-GM (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th revision, German Modification), forms the basis for the reimbursement systems in outpatient and inpatient care in Germany. Multiple new procedure codes were introduced in several fields, including cardiovascular, endoscopic, peripheral vascular, and robotic surgery.

In Q3 2024, Health Technology Wales completed three full appraisals with the publication of Evidence Appraisal Report and Guidance (AI for whole slide prostate biopsy images, AI-assisted endoscopy for gastrointestinal cancer, and Floseal in the treatment of epistaxis). Furthermore, 24 Med Tech-related Topic Exploration Reports were published concerning cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, gynecology, e-health, in-vitro diagnostics, and other areas.

On September 2, 2024, NHS England published guidance for planning, designing, and implementing Community diagnostic centers (CDCs). The national CDC Program is in its third year and has approved 170 CDC sites across England. The guidance sets the next steps and best practices in developing CDCs, including minimum requirements for core diagnostic tests that CDCs must provide permanently.

In the middle of July 2024, the new version of the classification of procedure codes (CCAM v.76) was published. Several changes were introduced, including creating 14 new codes in diagnostic imaging, men’s health, and neuromodulation technology groups.

In June 2024, the Finnish Coordinating Center for Health Technology Assessment announced that two rapid hospital assessments in the extracorporeal treatments and endoscopy fields and one Digi-HTA were accomplished.

The HTA body of the Tuscany Regional Healthcare issues three types of documents: full HTA reports, rapid HTA reports, and motivational forms. With regional decree 13540 of June 18, 2024, Tuscany Regional Healthcare published two new assessments and two reassessments of medical devices in the endoscopy, peripheral vascular, and ICU/OR areas.

In May 2024, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published three new Interventional Procedures Guidance concerning selective internal radiation therapy for liver metastases, endoscopic duodenal mucosal resurfacing in type 2 diabetes, and image-guided percutaneous laser ablation for liver tumours, and one Diagnostics Guidance on tumour profiling tests to guide adjuvant chemotherapy decisions in early breast cancer.

On May 1, 2024, the Belgian National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (INAMI/RIZIV) updated several articles of the Nomenclature. New procedure codes were introduced in pulmonary, endoscopy, and in-vitro diagnostic fields.

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 March 2024. Twelve recommendations were published concerning the registration of medical devices or modification of registration conditions/extension of indications for the medical devices in the List of Reimbursable Products and Services (LPPR). Opinions concern cardiovascular, neurovascular, ENT, and surgical devices, interventional radiology and endoscopy procedures, as well as medical aids.

The Danish Health Data Authority (Sundheddatastyrelsen) quarterly updates the Health Care Classification System (Sundhedsvæsenets Klassifikations System, SKS). The updated version was published in mid-March 2024 to come into force on April 1, 2024. Nine new medical procedure codes, five new codes for diagnostic investigations, and ten new additional codes concerning cardiovascular, ENT, interventional radiology, pulmonary, endoscopy, pathology, and surgical procedures were introduced.

In March 2024, several ongoing mini-HTA assessments for diagnostic imaging, e-health, endoscopic procedures, IVD, neuromodulation, peripheral vascular, and some other fields are evaluated as a part of a framework for the managed introduction of innovations "New Methods in Norway.