Bridging Research, Policy, and Practice: Advancing Evidence-Informed Approaches for Dementia Care and Prevention: an expert review by the Health Policy Professional Interest Area from ISTAART.

Bridging dementia research and policy remains a global challenge, with gaps in governance, capacity, data infrastructure, and contextual fit limiting the development and implementation of effective national dementia plans. To inform this issue, the Health Policy Professional Interest Area of ISTAART convened an expert discussion with researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and advocates, identifying three recurring challenges: difficulties translating research into actionable guidance, limited evaluation of real-world impact, and persistent inequities in access to dementia care. Building on these insights, this narrative review applies the Evidence-Informed Policy and Practice framework to examine how evidence is sourced, interpreted, and implemented across diverse settings. Integrating peer-reviewed literature, policy documents, and practice-based insights, the review highlights structural and institutional determinants of evidence generation; the contextual factors shaping evidence use; and system-level constraints and enabling mechanisms influencing implementation. The review highlights inclusive evidence generation, tailored translation, and delivery systems designed to support global dementia policy.