The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is producing guidance on using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests (Promonitor, IDKmonitor, LISA-TRACKER, RIDASCREEN, MabTrack, and tests used by Sanquin Diagnostic Services) in rheumatoid arthritis in the NHS in England. The diagnostics advisory committee has considered the evidence and the views of clinical and patient experts.

 The advisory committee is interested in receiving comments on the following:

  • Has all of the relevant evidence been taken into account?
  • Are the summaries of clinical and cost effectiveness reasonable interpretations of the evidence?
  • Are the provisional recommendations sound, and a suitable basis for guidance to the NHS?

 Equality issues

NICE is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, eliminating unlawful discrimination and fostering good relations between people with particular protected characteristics and others. Please let us know if you think that the recommendations may need changing to meet these aims. In particular, please tell us if the recommendations:

  •  could have a different effect on people protected by the equality legislation than on the wider population, for example by making it more difficult in practice for a specific group to access the technology
  • could have any adverse effect on people with a particular disability or disabilities.

 Please provide any relevant information or data you have about such effects and how they could be avoided or reduced.

 Note that this document is not NICE's final guidance on the use of ELISA tests (Promonitor, IDKmonitor, LISA-TRACKER, RIDASCREEN, MabTrack, and tests used by Sanquin Diagnostic Services) in rheumatoid arthritis in the NHS in England. The recommendations in section 1 may change after consultation.

 After consultation, the committee will meet again to consider the evidence, this document and comments from the consultation. After considering the comments, the committee will prepare its final recommendations, which will be the basis for NICE’s guidance on the use of the technology in the NHS in England.

 For further details, see the Diagnostics assessment programme manual.

 Key dates:

Closing date for comments: 4 April 2019


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