News
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AIHTA is an acadmic non-profit institute. At our website we wish to present our research and give support for health care decision-making. Here all of our reports are available for free. For further information please contact the AIHTA team.
In the News section you will find our most recent publications: newsletter, project-reports etc. Previous reports you might find via Research areas, Research projects and Repository.
Announcement
Hadron Therapy: Proton and carbon ion therapy - a review on clinical evidence of efficacy, ongoing research and reimbursement
Currently, there are about 40 facilities operating worldwide (14 in Europe) that offer hadron therapy. An additional 25 facilities (9 in Europe) are under construction and will go into operation in the coming years. In 2015, the Austrian center, MedAustron, will be opened in Wiener Neustadt. In the next 3–5 years, the capacity in Europe will approximately double. Since a supply-induced demand is to be assumed due to the considerable expansion of capacity in Europe the health policy issues – underlying this report - are: for which indications (tumor entities, stages) is evidence for a better efficacy, resp., fewer side effects through hadron therapy (proton or carbon ion therapy) already available, which clinical trials are currently running, which indications are also mentioned in guidelines, and which indications are reimbursed in other social health insurance countries.
Publication: LBI-HTA Project report No. 72: https://eprints.aihta.at/1021
Contact: Claudia Wild
Announcement
Evidence requirements for the authorization and reimbursement of high-risk medical devices in the USA, Europe, Australia and Canada: An analysis of seven high-risk medical devices
This research first explored the authorization systems for high-risk medical devices in four selected regions (USA, Canada, Australia and Europe) of the western world. Secondly, it analyzed the clinical evidence accessible at time of market approval and decision support (HTA) for reimbursement for seven selected high-risk medical devices. The results support a change in the European authorization system towards a transparent and evidence-based regulation process: All seven medical devices have been approved in the European Union through an appointed Notified Body, only four by the Australian TGA, one each by the US-American FDA and by the Canadian TPD. In comparison to the other three regulatory systems, the number of approved devices in Europe is high, esp. if additionally taken into consideration that four further devices were also assessed by the FDA, but either rejected or not approved for general use.
Publication: LBI-HTA Project report No. 73: https://eprints.aihta.at/1017
Contact: Claudia Wild
Announcement
Occupational therapy in children and adolescents. Literature review on indications, utilisation and recommendations
The frequency of prescriptions and underlying indications of occupational therapy (OT) in children and adolescents in Austria are unclear. The aim of the project was to identify fields of application and recommendations for OT as well as information on the frequency of prescriptions from (German) health insurance reports. We included 24 review articles, 20 guidelines and 4 health reports.
The results show that among many other indication areas CNS-disorders, developmental delays and ADHD were mentioned most often. Detailed, indication-specific information concerning prescription of OT for children and young people cannot be found.
Publication: LBI-HTA Project report No. 70: https://eprints.aihta.at/1016
Contact: Johanna Breuer
Announcement
Identification of ineffective interventions and technologies Existing models and their implementation
This systematic analysis of 8 already implemented models for the identification of ineffective interventions and technologies highlights existing commonalities between these models as well as general challenges that arise from the development and implementation of such models.
Publication: LBI-HTA Projektbericht Nr. 68: https://eprints.aihta.at/1014
Contakt: Julia Mayer
Event archive
Event
First LBG Meeting for Health Sciences 2013
2. December 2013
9:00-21:00
Haus der Industrie, Schwarzenberg Platz 4
Announcement
Mental Health Rehabilitation for Children and Adolescents – Systematic overview of evaluation outcomes and instruments
Announcement
Zostavax® for the prevention of herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralagia. Pilot assessment using the draft HTA Core Model for Rapid Relative Effectiveness Assessment. Pilot-ID: WP-SA-1
Herpes Zoster (Shingles) primarily occurs in people over 50 years old. The disease is hardly lethal, however, it is often associated with long-term pain (postherpetic neuralgia) and decreased quality of life. Since 2006, a vaccine against Herpes Zoster (Zostavax®) has been licensed for persons aged 50+. Completed studies so far have shown that vaccination decreases Herpes Zoster incidence, however, the benefit for patients in terms of quality of life or long-term pain is unclear. Moreover, the vaccine’s efficacy in terms of Herpes Zoster incidence decreases substantially with age. Overall mortality and hospital admissions on a population level won’t be reduced with vaccination. Because safety data have indicated an increased risk for severe adverse events in people over 80 years of age after vaccination, members of this age group should rigorously weigh benefit against risks.
Publication: Decision Support Document Nr. 73: https://eprints.aihta.at/1013/
Contact: Ingrid Zechmeister-Koss