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Access to Quality Services
Volume 12 No 2 I March 2016 23
As you may be aware, the Faculty of
Clinical Radiology hosted the inaugural
Diagnostic Imaging Horizon Scanning
Forum on Wednesday, 26 November
2014 at the College office in Sydney.
The following nine applications were
presented at the forum by their
respective applicant:
1. Image guided ablation techniques:
Including radiofrequency ablation,
microwave ablation, cryoablation,
alcohol ablation
2. Radio guided Occult Lesion
Localisation Using Iodine 125 seeds
(ROLLIS)
3. Autologous Blood Injection (ABI);
Platelet Rich Plasma Injection (PRP);
and Blood Derived Products (BDP)
4. Foetal / Uteroplacental MRI
5. MRI Pelvis Fistula in Ano
6. Magnetic resonance peripheral
angiography
7. Insertion of lesion localisation
markers
8. Simultaneous MR PET
9. PET scanning
By way of background, the College
allocated resources for the 2014–15
financial year to directly support five
Medical Services Advisory Committee
(MSAC) submissions that potentially
offer the most benefit to our patients
and that possess the necessary evidence
base and cost-benefit ratios to withstand
the stringent MSAC evaluation process.
Of the nine applications listed above,
attendees at the forum identified six
applications that were deemed to
have enough supporting evidence to
progresses to a literature search.
Following an assessment of the literature
review, the following applications were
chosen to be supported through the
MSAC application process:
1. Image guided ablation techniques:
including radiofrequency ablation
and microwave ablation
2. Obstetric MRI
3. Magnetic resonance peripheral
angiography
4. Insertion of lesion localisation
markers.
Despite the other applications not
progressing at this stage, the College
is looking to garner further information
from the applicants with a view to future
potential applications. Of particular
interest are the PET/MR and PET/
CT applications, both of which were
identified as essential future listings,
however, further evidence is required
in order to progress to an MSAC
application.
Since the forum, Mr Andrew Paine,
Senior Analyst for Economics at the
College has been working with Health
Technology Assessment (HTA) expert,
Dr Eugene Salole, and the respective
applicants to refine the applications
for the MSAC process, in line with the
College’s strategic pillar Quality service
delivery: Access to quality services.
More recently, applications for
microwave ablation liver and lung were
made to MSAC by an applicant external
to the College. The College has been
in contact with the applicant and has
offered ongoing support through the
MSAC process.
Although the focus of the 2014 Horizon
Scan was on Australia, the principles
and learnings are readily applicable to
New Zealand, and the College’s Policy
and Advocacy Team will be looking to
take this forward in the next horizon
scan commencing in the 2016–17
financial year.
MSAC Reform Process
The College has provided ongoing
feedback to the Department of Health
(DoH) in relation to reforms to the
MSAC process. This has taken the form
of consultations and meetings with the
department designed to outline the
changes needed to streamline what is a
demanding but highly necessary process
for all sides.
Recently, the College responded to
a consultation on the department’s
Segmentation Framework , a document
designed to highlight new changes to
the MSAC process that will assist
in increasing transparency.
Our submission can be found on the
College website
advocacy/submissions
Although some positive steps have been
made, the College continues to raise
concerns that the framework is difficult
to interpret and further work is needed
to create a process that can be easily
understood by the applicant and remain
flexible enough to cope with the quickly
changing nature of health technology.
The College will continue to liaise
with the department in order to work
towards a transparent and flexible
MSAC process.
DI Horizon Scanning Forum Update
Much has been achieved since the
inaugural forum over a year ago
If you are interested in being
involved with any of the above
applications, or have any questions
of comments please do not hesitate
to contact Mr Andrew Paine,
Senior Analyst for Economics
at the College on