Health-economic burden of dementia in South Korea

Changwoo Shon,Hyejung Yoon

doi:10.1186/s12877-021-02526-x

Abstract

BackgroundThis population-based study estimated the health-economic costs of dementia from a societal perspective using nationally representative data from 2015 to 2019 and analysed recent trends in Korea.MethodsThe prevalence of and mortality due to dementia were calculated using the National Health Insurance claims data and population census. The health-economic burden due to dementia was estimated using a prevalence-based approach, including the number of dementia patients and the number of deaths resulting from dementia during 2015–2019. The health-economic burden was presented separately as the national burden and the burden per capita by summing the direct and indirect costs.ResultsBetween 2015 and 2019, the prevalence of dementia among the elderly aged 65 years or older based on clinical diagnosis increased from 5.9 to 7.3%, with approximately 588000 elderly dementia patients in Korea. The total health-economic cost of dementia increased by about 1.5 times in the last 5 years and was estimated to be about USD 4218 million. Direct costs were 52.0% in 2019, and the proportion has been steadily increasing over the past 5 years; indirect costs accounted for 48.0% of the total burden, mainly from family members and caregivers. The health-economic cost per capita due to dementia was approximately USD 6957.ConclusionsThe burden of dementia in Korea is expected to considerably increase alongside the elderly population in the future. Health policies addressing the prevention and management of dementia should be prioritised.

Highlights

This population-based study estimated the health-economic costs of dementia from a societal perspective using nationally representative data from 2015 to 2019 and analysed recent trends in Korea
Due to the mandatory health insurance managed by the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) for Korean residents, the claims data from the NHIS represent the entire population of Korea [11]
We estimated the health-economic cost of dementia from a social perspective according to Davidson and Beeri [12], which defined the components of the cost of Alzheimer’ disease

Summary

Introduction

This population-based study estimated the health-economic costs of dementia from a societal perspective using nationally representative data from 2015 to 2019 and analysed recent trends in Korea. Dementia is a clinical syndrome characterised by severe loss of cognitive and emotional abilities, negatively affecting daily functioning and quality of life [1]. People with dementia experience deterioration in memory, thinking, behaviour, and the ability to perform daily activities. 50 million people worldwide have dementia, with nearly 10 million new cases each year. Korea is one of the fastest ageing countries worldwide, and the increasing prevalence of dementia will put a heavy burden on Korean society. Korea is predicted to become a super-aged society by 2025, only 8 years after becoming an ageing society, and the proportion of the elderly population is expected to reach 37% in 2045 [7].

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