Cardiac pacemaker

On November 9, 2021, the Belgian Health Care Knowledge Center (KCE) published the health technology assessment report "Remote monitoring of patients with cardiovascular implantable electronic devices (CIED)". Analysis of efficacy and safety of remote monitoring showed an advantage in various aspects. Cost-effectiveness analysis indicates that remote cardiac monitoring of ICDs and PMs is cost-effective compared to monitoring based on in-clinic visits.

In late October 2021, the BfArM (Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices) has published the final version of the 2022 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 late September 2021, the Austrian version of the DRG system (LKF) 2022 model with the relevant supplementary documents was published in Austria. The document "Changes and innovations in the 2022 LKF model" (Änderungen und Neuerungen in den LKF-Modellen 2022) summarizes the most significant changes and innovations in the LKF model for inpatient and outpatient care. The newly added procedure codes concern mainly the cardiovascular, E-Health, and gastrointestinal area.

In mid-August 2021, the Finnish Coordinating Center for Health Technology Assessment announced the release of the four accomplished rapid hospital assessments (HTA) performed by the Helsinki University Hospital. The accomplished rapid HTAs concern the cardiovascular, peripheral vascular, and endoscopy technology groups.

In mid-June 2021, the document "Changes and innovations in the 2022 LKF model" (Änderungen und Neuerungen in den LKF-Modellen 2022) was published. The document summarizes the most significant changes and innovations in the LKF model for inpatient and outpatient care. The newly added procedure codes concern mainly the cardiovascular, e-Health, and gastrointestinal area.

In May 2021, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published five new Interventional Procedure Guidance (ex-situ machine perfusion for extracorporeal preservation of lungs for transplant, transvaginal laser therapy for stress urinary incontinence and for urogenital atrophy, electrohydraulic lithotripsy for difficult-to-treat bile duct stones, and permanent His-bundle pacemaker for heart failure), one new Medical Technologies Guidance (UroLift for benign prostatic hyperplasia), and two new Medtech Innovation Briefings (Axonics sacral neuromodulation system for faecal incontinence and KODEX-EPD for cardiac imaging during ablation of arrhythmias). Also, three clinical guidelines and two Medical Technologies Guidance were updated.

In late March 2021, multiple new procedure codes were introduced by the Code Service of the Finnish National Health and Wellbeing Institution (THL), including ten neuromodulation codes, 54 codes in the ophthalmology area, and three codes in the cardiovascular area.

On January 29, 2021, the Institute for the Hospital Remuneration System (InEK) has published the List of the requests for innovation funding (NUB) that were submitted by the hospitals in 2020. The medical technologies belonging to the cardiovascular, ENT, eHealth, gastrointestinal, neuromodulation, neurovascular, orthopedic, and other technology groups obtained positive status 1.

On October 30, 2020, the Swiss Federal Statistics Office (UFS) published the 2021 version of the procedure code (CHOP) nomenclature in French and Italian. The version in the German language was published in July 2020. The most important changes regard cardiovascular and peripheral vascular interventions.

In late September 2020, the Austrian version of the DRG system (LKF) 2021 model with the relevant supplementary documents was published in Austria. For 2021, the main changes include the addition of sixteen new procedure codes and the introduction of two new procedure codes for billing in the day-case settings, update of cases flat rates, and adjustments of the cases daily component calculation.

In July 2020, the Austrian Institute for Health Technology Assessment (AIHTA) published updated evaluations of medical procedures previously assessed. Technologies that were revised are leadless pacemaker for right ventricle pacing and extracorporeal cytokine hemadsorption therapy in patients with sepsis or SIRS.

The German Society for Neurology (DGN) has published a new version of the S1 guideline "Syncope." It is valid until January 2025.