NICE process and methods

3 Selecting and routing technologies

3 Selecting and routing technologies

NICE's topic oversight group selects and routes medical technologies by discussing the case for adoption and applying the selection and routing criteria. Although the selection criteria are of equal weight, the significance that is applied to each of these criteria varies among technologies, depending on the context of use of the technology and the medical condition(s) to which it relates.

3.1 Selecting medical technologies for evaluation

Notifications of medical technologies are received primarily from companies or sponsors (referred to as sponsors in this document). MTEP prepares topic briefings on eligible topics and presents them to the topic oversight group to inform their decision about whether a technology meets the selection criteria (see appendix C and the MTEP process guide). The topic briefing is based on the sponsor's case for adoption and includes information about the technology and its comparators, the claimed benefits to patients and the health and social care system compared with current management, patients in whom the technology is used and a summary of the available evidence. Topic briefings incorporate input from expert advisers, patient and carer organisations if possible, and the sponsor of the technology. They include the potential costs of using the technology.

3.2 Routing selected medical technologies for evaluation

Once the topic oversight group has selected technologies for evaluation, it routes them to an appropriate evaluation programme using the topic briefing and the published routing considerations (see appendix D) as a guide. Selected technologies may be routed to 1 of the NICE guidance programmes:

  • medical technologies

  • diagnostics

  • interventional procedures

  • technology appraisals

  • guidelines.

The topic oversight group may also route the technology to other NICE programmes, or other national programmes outside of NICE.

More information about the considerations for routing to these programmes is given in appendix D.

3.2.1 Diagnostic technologies

After the topic oversight group has selected a diagnostic technology for evaluation, it may decide to develop medical technologies guidance or it may route the technology to the diagnostics assessment programme (DAP). Diagnostic technologies that, compared with those in current use, have similar benefits but cost less or more benefits at the same cost are more likely to be evaluated according to the methods described in this guide (that is, by MTEP). Diagnostic technologies that have more benefits but cost more than those in current use are more likely to be routed to DAP.

NICE does not select or develop guidance on diagnostic tests that are mainly used for population screening. Generally, such tests are likely to be routed to an appropriate evaluation body such as the UK National Screening Committee.