Tools and resources

Adoption support resource – insights from the NHS

1 Introduction

1 Introduction

Published date: February 2017 Last updated: December 2019. See update information for a summary of the changes.

This resource has been developed to provide practical information and advice on NICE medical technologies guidance on HeartFlow FFRCT for estimating fractional flow reserve from coronary CT angiography.

NICE's adoption team worked with contributors who use (or have used) HeartFlow FFRCT in NHS organisations to gather learning and experiences.

The information presented in this resource is intended for the sole purpose of supporting the NHS in adopting, evaluating the impact of adopting or further researching this technology. It is complementary to the guidance and was not considered by the medical technologies advisory committee when developing its recommendations.

Funding and support for HeartFlow FFRCT is available via the Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC). The AAC brings together government, NHS, industry and patient representatives and aims to improve the uptake of innovations in the health and care system.

HeartFlow FFRCT is coronary physiologic simulation software used to analyse cardiac CT images. It is intended for use in patients with stable, recent onset chest pain and suspected angina. See the guidance for more details.

The benefits of using HeartFlow FFRCT as reported by the NHS staff involved in producing this resource include:

  • improved time to diagnosis, with evaluation of coronary anatomy and functional ischaemia assessment in 1 test

  • fewer downstream functional tests, reduced costs and potential reduction in further radiation exposure (SPECT)

  • improved safety by reducing the need for invasive coronary angiography

  • it fits into the current care pathway with no extra scanning equipment needed

  • little training is needed

  • improved patient experience.


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