The NICE Diagnostics Assessment Programme

Abstract The Diagnostics Assessment Programme (DAP) was set up by NICE in 2009 to evaluate innovative medical diagnostic technologies. It was established together with the Medical Technologies Evaluation Programme (MTEP) to undertake more evaluations of medical technologies. A key mechanism for identifying topics for both the MTEP and DAP is notification from a product sponsor. Diagnostic technologies may be assessed in either the DAP or MTEP depending on the value claim. The MTEP allows the relatively rapid assessment of technologies using methods focussed on clinical effectiveness and cost-consequences analysis. The DAP is designed for more complex assessments of diagnostic technologies and methods include cost-effectiveness analysis. A key development in recent years from the pharmaceutical and diagnostics industries is the growing importance of companion diagnostics. It is anticipated that the evaluation of companion diagnostics will be a growing area for NICE involving both the DAP and Technology Appraisals programmes.