Expert perspectives on development strategies and challenges for the Korean Dental Association Health Policy Institute: An exploratory qualitative study

Purpose: The Health Policy Institute of the Korean Dental Association (KDA-HPI) has served as Korea’s main think tank for dental policy research. Fifteen years after its establishment, population aging, workforce imbalance, and changes in the national health insurance system call for redefining its role. This study explored the current status and future directions of the KDA-HPI from the perspectives of former and current leaders and executive staff.Materials and Methods: A qualitative design was used, including focus group interviews with former and current directors and vice-directors (n=9) and written surveys from former and current executive staff responsible for research coordination (n=6). Data were analyzed using thematic analysis.Results: Three themes emerged. First, participants emphasized building an evidence-based policy foundation and systematically training dental policy research experts. Second, priority research areas included oral health care for older adults (including home-visit dental care), dentist workforce supply and distribution, policy collaboration and political engagement, and future-oriented long-term agendas. Third, improvement strategies focused on clarifying the relationship between the Institute and the Association to ensure continuity, strengthening research infrastructure and professional researcher support, and establishing cooperative roles with the forthcoming National Dental Research Institute.Conclusion: The KDA-HPI should develop an independent and sustainable operating system, enhance research capacity through recruitment and retention, and pursue proactive long-term policy studies. Incorporating external stakeholder perspectives may further strengthen legitimacy and strategic influence.