Dementia is a major and growing health issue for Australians. In 2020, about 459,000 Australians are living with dementia and an estimated 250 people are being diagnosed each day. The Australian Dementia Network aims to advance the clinical knowledge for dementia prevention, treatment, and care, by bringing together Australia’s top researchers, to drive ongoing, high-quality research. To achieve its ambitious goals, it has set up three key initiatives: - Develop and maintain a clinical quality registry (Dementia Registry) that can track, benchmark, and report on the quality of clinical care of people living with dementia and mild cognitive impairment. This data will drive quality improvements in the clinical treatment of dementia, and will provide systematic, longitudinal data for research into the condition. - Establish a national network of memory clinics to improve the assessment of cognitive disorders and access to specialists. - Develop a database of people with dementia or at increased risk of developing dementia to participate in clinical trials and progress the development of new therapies. Led by Professor Chris Rowe, the Australian Dementia Network is supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) National Institute for Dementia Research, The Wicking Trust, The Yulgilbar Foundation, Dementia Australia and Austin Health.
