Find out more about guidance development and the types of HealthTech guidance we produce.
About HealthTech guidance
This guidance evaluates digital technologies, diagnostics and medical devices (including artificial intelligence).
It considers HealthTech products that are in early development but may offer potential value to the NHS, be suitable for routine widespread use, or are already in existing use in the NHS. It includes guidance on the effectiveness and safety of interventional procedures.
NICE HealthTech guidance evaluates non-medicine technologies.
It combines diagnostics guidance, interventional procedures guidance and medical technologies (MedTech) guidance.
Get a technology evaluated
Manufacturers, distributors and agents can get a technology evaluated by NICE.
The 'life-cycle approach' to NICE guidance development
The approaches taken to develop guidance, and the types of recommendation made, reflect what stage a technology or procedure is at in the lifecycle.
For early use (previously known as early value assessment)
This approach considers HealthTech products that could address an unmet need in the NHS. It rapidly assesses products early in the lifecycle (but that have appropriate regulatory approval for use in the UK) or that have limited use in the NHS and need more evidence to support routine use. These were previously known as ‘early value assessments’.
For routine use
This approach considers HealthTech products that address a national unmet need in the NHS and may be suitable for widespread use. Recommendations are based on clinical and cost effectiveness, or cost comparison.
For existing use (previously known as late stage assessment)
This approach considers HealthTech products that are already in established use in the NHS, to inform commissioning and procurement decisions. These were previously known as ‘late stage assessments’.
Interventional procedures guidance
Interventional procedures involve making an incision, a puncture or entry into a body cavity, or using ionising, electromagnetic or acoustic energy.
We assess the efficacy and safety of interventional procedures used for treatment or diagnosis to determine whether they work well enough and are safe enough for use in the NHS.
Tell us about an interventional procedure you think should be assessed by NICE.
We work with the clinical classifications service of NHS Digital to provide relevant clinical coding information for interventional procedure and medical technologies guidance.