Dementia Policy & Population Health

Population burden & inequalities

National epidemiological surveys and cohort evidence inform estimates of dementia burden and the distribution of risk across population groups.

Health-economic evaluation

Decision models compare screening or diagnostic strategies using costs and health outcomes. Interpretation depends on assumptions, time horizon, setting and uncertainty.

Policy & service comparison

Comparative research examines dementia-policy and service frameworks, connecting clinical evidence with implementation questions.

Policy experience

Ki Woong Kim served as the first director of the National Institute of Dementia (2012–2019) and led development work for Korea’s Third National Dementia Plan (2014–2015). These are historical roles, distinct from current appointments.

Comparing national dementia plans against international recommendations

The comparison of G7 countries and South Korea found broad alignment with WHO and OECD recommendations, alongside gaps in areas such as end-of-life care, care environments and health facilities. It provides a common framework for comparing national plans at the time of the study.

National Dementia Plans of Group of Seven Countries and South Korea Based on International Recommendations

From policy commitments to implementation

The follow-up comparison identified differences in concrete action plans, legislative support, leadership and evaluation. Limited use of outcome measures and uneven coverage of care needs highlighted the importance of implementation mechanisms alongside national dementia plans.

Comparative Analysis on the Policy Approaches in the National Dementia Plans of G7 Countries and Korea and Their Implementation

Identifying driving risk that self-report can miss

In older male KLOSCAD drivers, self-reported concerns predicted subsequent crashes, but some drivers who later crashed had reported no concerns. Lower education together with slower Trail Making Test B performance helped identify higher risk among those without concerns, supporting further study of objective assessment.

Self-Reported Driving Problems Predict Future Traffic Crashes in Older Men: Prevalence and Determinants of Unrecognized Imminent Risk

Driving-risk indicators differ by cognitive status

Linking the Driving Risk Questionnaire with police records showed that crash history was associated with past risky driving in both cognitive groups. Aggressive driving was also associated in the normal-cognition group. These findings inform assessment while distinguishing retrospective associations from future prediction.

Evidence of risky driving in Korean older adults: A longitudinal cohort

Memory and subsequent driving-related adverse events

A prospective KLOSCAD analysis linked cognitive assessments with police records in older male drivers. Better baseline memory performance was associated with lower odds of subsequent crashes or repeated traffic violations, providing cohort evidence for studying cognition alongside driving safety.

Driving-Related Adverse Events in the Elderly Men: A Population-Based Prospective Cohort Study

Balancing driving safety and mobility in dementia

The international comparison found substantial variation in regulations for mild dementia. It supported validated assessment, restrictions tailored to driving competence and support after driving cessation. The paper describes the regulations reviewed for the study, rather than a current legal guide.

An International Comparative Study on Driving Regulations on People with Dementia

Literacy as a population-health consideration

Research estimated dementia burden attributable to illiteracy and modelled potential changes in dementia-related costs. These are population-attributable estimates and scenarios, not proof that a specific literacy intervention prevents dementia.

Impacts of Illiteracy on the Risk of Dementia: A Global Health Perspective

Evaluating screening with health-economic models

A Korean study evaluated the cost-effectiveness of nationwide opportunistic dementia screening. It provides a framework for weighing costs and health outcomes rather than assuming that more screening necessarily saves costs.

Cost-effectiveness of nationwide opportunistic screening program for dementia in South Korea

치매전주기 데이터 수집 및 빅데이터 통합시스템 구축사업

Related cross-programme work: dementia-continuum data collection and integration provides infrastructure relevant to future population-health and service-evaluation questions. This is not a separate policy-specific grant.