Health · Healthcare & Policy · 16 hrs ago
South Korea’s debate over renaming dementia remains stalled
In South Korea, efforts to change the name for dementia have stalled amid disagreement over what term should replace it.
The Korean word for dementia includes characters meaning “foolish,” and advocates say this can add stigma for patients and their families.
Dementia is defined by a decline in abilities such as memory and judgment that interferes with daily life.
Suggested replacements include “cognitive decline” and “neurocognitive disorder,” but medical groups say these terms could also describe conditions that do not disrupt daily life.
Four bills to change the term are pending in the current National Assembly, while a government-led group’s discussions have produced no change.
Patient and caregiver groups support addressing the name but say the proposed alternatives lack broad agreement.
Medical experts urge testing and public agreement before any change, including checking how a new term would work in health care and law.
South Korea’s debate over changing the word for dementia remains stalled as medical groups question whether proposed alternatives are medically clear.
Proposals include cognitive decline, brain cognitive decline, cognitive disorder and neurocognitive disorder.
Medical groups warn that the alternatives could blur distinctions between dementia and other conditions and cause confusion in clinical settings.
Patient and caregiver groups support the aim of changing the term but say proposed alternatives lack social consensus and sufficient expert input.
Four bills to change the term are pending in South Korea’s 22nd National Assembly.
- Who
- Medical groups, patient and caregiver groups, and lawmakers are involved in the debate.
- What
- South Korea’s debate over renaming dementia has made little progress amid disagreement over alternative terms.
- When
- The debate has continued for years; the latest report was published on November 8.
- Where
- South Korea.
- Why
- The current term contains a meaning associated with foolishness and is seen by some as contributing to stigma, while medical groups say proposed alternatives lack clarity.
Medical groups
Patient and caregiver groups
Purpose of a name change
Medical groups
Medical groups question whether changing the term is necessary and oppose or urge caution on proposed alternatives.
Patient and caregiver groups
Patient and caregiver groups agree with the aim of changing the term because of its potential negative stigma.
Proposed alternatives
Medical groups
Medical groups say the alternatives may lack medical clarity, blur distinctions between conditions and cause confusion.
Patient and caregiver groups
Patient and caregiver groups say the proposed alternatives lack social consensus and sufficient expert input.
Bills to change the term for dementia were introduced in successive National Assemblies, but none led to a law change.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare formed a working group including experts and patient groups to discuss revising the term.
Four bills seeking to change the term are pending.
A report by the Korean Medical Association’s terminology committee argued that proposed alternatives lack clinical clarity and called for evidence-based review and social consensus.
- Pending bills
- 4 in the 22nd National Assembly
- Working group
- Formed by the Ministry of Health and Welfare in 2023
- Proposed alternatives
- Cognitive decline, brain cognitive decline, cognitive disorder, neurocognitive disorder
- Report date
- November 8
- Current term
- Its two Chinese characters both carry a meaning associated with foolishness
What people are saying
The alternatives, including cognitive decline, cognitive disorder, brain cognitive decline and neurocognitive disorder, have limitations because they do not capture dementia’s clinical clarity and functional criteria.
It is difficult to judge a name change as justified simply because the meaning of the existing term is negative.
It is difficult to conclude that changing the name alone will remove social stigma.