AIHW National Centre for Monitoring Dementia
The AIHW National Centre for Monitoring Dementia (NCMD) was established in 2021 to provide accessible, policy-relevant, and timely national dementia data to build the evidence base for the Australian population and health, aged care and disability sectors. This information is critical to prioritise resources and provide effective and efficient dementia-related policies, services and interventions, streamline dementia research and improve the lives of Australians living with dementia or caring for a person with dementia. The Department of Health and Aged Care funds the NCMD.
The primary goal of the NCMD is to be the leading authority on, and comprehensive resource for, national dementia data in Australia. This will be achieved through undertaking work aimed at:
- Providing timely, accessible and policy-relevant statistics on dementia in Australia: through systematic analysis and regular reporting of available dementia data that relate to key policy areas across key dementia monitoring areas, as well as special interest or thematic projects that explore particular priority topics in more detail. See Dementia data gaps and improvement activities for the list of key data for monitoring and policy.
- Improving dementia data in Australia: through dedicated efforts in collaborating and consulting with data custodians, policy makers, researchers and other key stakeholders to improve the collection and quality of dementia data, the availability of linked data assets and by developing new analytical approaches to filling existing data gaps. This also includes the NCMD’s role in undertaking data improvement projects with external parties where specific expertise or data are required. See Dementia data partnership projects for more information.
The development of the NCMD allows for an integrated system to effectively and efficiently monitor and report on dementia in Australia.
A Dementia Expert Advisory Group provide expert advice on the NCMD ’s work program and direction. The group consists of policymakers, clinicians, academics, people with lived experience of dementia, and experts in dementia and related research.
This plan will guide work undertaken by the NCMD to improve dementia data in Australia. The NCMD will also regularly monitor and report performance measures over the 10-year plan for the National Dementia Action Plan (NDAP). The NDAP scope is broad and baseline data may not be available for some new performance measures at its commencement. This plan specifies the data improvement activities that will be undertaken to help measure the progress and performance of the new NDAP, particularly as dementia data access and integration advances.
The NCMD is a leader in developing and reporting national dementia data in Australia. In addition, many of the NCMD’s activities rely on close collaboration with key stakeholders across a range of sectors and will be informed by broader reforms across the aged care and other sectors. The role of the NCMD in the improvement plan activities, and in relation to the 10-year goals, is shown in Figure 1.2.