Adapting WHO integrated care for older people (ICOPE) models to the Korean context: Policy relevance and...

Korea is projected to become a super-aged society by 2025, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to develop the Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE) framework for person-centered, community-based care. Despite Korea's efforts in translating ICOPE materials and launching pilot projects, evidence on their national policy alignment and feasibility for scale-up remains limited.

This study assesses the policy relevance and feasibility of implementing the ICOPE framework in Korea through expert consensus and structural comparison with ongoing national and local initiatives.

A three-round Delphi survey involved 31 experts in geriatrics, public health, and aging policy. Thirty-two ICOPE implementation items were evaluated across micro, meso, and macro levels using interquartile range (IQR) and content validity ratio (CVR). Results were compared with key Korean programs, including the Seoul Health Companion Center and Ministry of Health and Welfare's Integrated Care Pilot Project.

Most ICOPE elements, particularly at the micro level (e.g., frailty screening in primary care: IQR = 0.93, CVR = 0.72), were deemed relevant and feasible. However, macro-level components like digital infrastructure and financing showed limited readiness.

The ICOPE framework is broadly compatible with Korea's integrated care strategies, especially at the micro level. Macro-level implementation gaps persist. This study's findings, particularly identified consensus priorities and policy-practice gaps, aim to directly inform future policy design and scale-up strategies for integrated care in Korea, guiding efforts in governance integration, ICT infrastructure development, and indicator standardization.