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NICE diagnostics advisory committee: faecal immunochemical tests

10 December 2015

NICE are looking for specialist members to join the Diagnostics Advisory Committee for the evaluation of the proposed diagnostic topic: "Faecal immunochemical tests to triage low risk populations for suspected colorectal cancer referrals in primary care." The independent Diagnostics Advisory Committee considers evidence on the clinical and cost effectiveness of innovative medical diagnostic technologies and formulates recommendations to the NICE Diagnostics Assessment programme on the adoption of medical diagnostic technologies in the NHS.

Topic description

Faecal immunochemical tests are designed to detect small amounts of blood in stool samples (faecal occult blood) using antibodies specific to human haemoglobin. They have been developed to overcome some of the limitations of guaiac based faecal occult blood tests, which are recommended for use in primary care to triage referral for people presenting with certain clinical signs that may be indicative of colorectal cancer. Use of faecal immunochemical tests may refine the accuracy of the initial triage, which could reduce the number of inappropriate referrals to secondary care and reduce the length of time taken for people to receive further investigations. The tests may also have sampling requirements which are more acceptable to patients. The NICE Diagnostics Assessment Programme will assess the clinical and cost-effectiveness of faecal immunochemical tests in order to make recommendations on their use in the NHS. For each evaluation, the Diagnostics Advisory Committee comprises 24 standing members and a number of additional Specialist Committee members with expertise relevant to the topic under evaluation. The Diagnostics Assessment programme is now recruiting healthcare professionals, to join the Diagnostics Advisory Committee as Specialist Committee members for the topic outlined above, with expertise in the following areas:
  • General Practitioner
  • Consultant Colorectal Surgeon with an interest in colorectal cancer
  • Consultant Gastroenterologist with an interest in colonoscopy
  • Consultant Clinical Scientist or Biomedical Scientist
  • Consultant Pathologist with an interest in GI pathology
  • Consultant Medical Oncologist with an interest in colorectal cancer
  • Nurse Endoscopist or Advanced Nurse Practitioner (primary care)
The closing date for applications is 5pm, 26 January 2016

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