Table 1 Search strings used in Embase, which was adapted to other databases

Professional-patient relationship

 Mesh

  1. doctor patient relation/ or nurse patient relationship/

 .ti,ab, kw

  2. (professional* adj3 (famil* or client* or patient? or resident?) adj5 (relation* or communicat* or interacti*)).ti,ab.

  3. (professional* adj3 (famil* or client* or patient? or resident?) adj5 (relation* or communicat* or interacti*)).kw.

  4. (nurse* adj3 (famil* or client* or patient or resident*) adj5 (relation* or communicat* or interacti*)).ti,ab.

  5. (nurse* adj3 (famil* or client* or patient or resident*) adj5 (relation* or communicat* or interacti*)).kw.

  6. (doctor? adj3 (famil* or client* or patient or resident*) adj5 (relation* or communicat* or interacti*)).ti,ab.

  7. (doctor? adj3 (famil* or client* or patient or resident*) adj5 (relation* or communicat* or interacti*)).kw

  8. (physician? adj3 (famil* or client* or patient or resident*) adj5 (relation* or communicat* or interacti*)).ti,ab.

  9. (physician? adj3 (famil* or client* or patient or resident*) adj5 (relation* or communicat* or interacti*)).kw

  10. (staff* adj3 (famil* or client* or patient? or resident?) adj5 (relation* or communicat* or interacti*)).ti,ab.

  11. (staff* adj3 (famil* or client* or patient? or resident?) adj5 (relation* or communicat* or interacti*)).kw

  12. (care provider* adj3 (famil* or client* or patient? or resident?) adj5 (relation* or communicat* or interact*)).ti,ab.

  13. (care provider* adj3 (famil* or client* or patient? or resident?) adj5 (relation* or communicat* or interact*)).kw.

  14. (nursing adj3 staff adj5 (communicat* or interact* or behav*) adj15 (famil* or client* or patient or resident*)).ti,ab.

  15. (nursing adj3 staff adj5 (communicat* or interact* or behav*) adj15 (famil* or client* or patient or resident*)).kw.

  16. interpersonal communication/

  17 ((professional* or nurse* or doctor* or physician* or staff or care provider* or care worker*) adj7 (client? or patient? or resident?)).ti,ab.

  18. ((professional* or nurse* or doctor* or physician* or staff or care provider* or care worker*) adj7 (client? or patient? or resident?)).kw.

  19. 17 or 18

  20. 16 and 19

  21. or/1–15,20

AND Long term care

 Mesh

  22. elderly care/ or mental health care/ or long term care/ or home care/ or institutional care/ or residential care/ or nursing/ or homes for the aged/ or nursing home/ or psychiatric nursing/

 .ti,ab, kw

  23. (elderly care or mental health care or long term care or home care or institutional care or residential care or nursing care or nursing home or psychiatric nursing).ti,ab.

  24. (elderly care or mental health care or long term care or home care or institutional care or residential care or nursing care or nursing home or psychiatric nursing).kw.

  25. (long adj3 term adj5 care*).ti,ab.

  26. (long adj3 term adj5 care*).kw

  27. ((mental adj5 health* adj5 servi*) or (mental adj5 hygiene* adj5 service*) or (psychiatric adj5 service*)).ti,ab.

  28. ((mental adj5 health* adj5 servi*) or (mental adj5 hygiene* adj5 service*) or (psychiatric adj5 service*)).kw.

  29. ((health service* for or home* for or care for or service* for) adj5 (aged* or elder* or elderly or senior*)).ti,ab.

  30. ((health service* for or home* for or care for or service* for) adj5 (aged* or elder* or elderly or senior*)).kw.

  31. ((health service* for or home* for or care for or service* for) adj7 ((person* adj3 disabilit*) or for disable*)).ti,ab.

  32. ((health service* for or home* for or care for or service* for) adj7 ((person* adj3 disabilit*) or for disable*)).kw

  33. (elderly care or mental health care or home care or institutional care or residential care or nursing care).ti,ab.

  34. (elderly care or mental health care or home care or institutional care or residential care or nursing care).kw

  35. Or/22–34

AND Quality

 Mesh

  36. total quality management/ or quality control/ or exp. health care quality/

  37. Patient satisfaction/ti,ab, kw

  38. (Quality of adj5 care).ti,ab.

  39. (Quality of adj5 care).kw

  40. (quality adj3 (improve* or improvement* or indicat*)).ti,ab.

  41. (quality adj3 (improve* or improvement* or indicat*)).kw

  42. meaningful.ti,ab.

  43. meaningful.kw

  44. (person centred or person centered or patient centred or patient centered or client centred or client centered or relationship centred or relationship centered).ti,ab.

  45. (person centred or person centered or patient centred or patient centered or client centred or client centered or relationship centred or relationship centered).kw.

  46. patient satisfaction.ti,ab.

  47. patient satisfaction.kw

  48. or/36–47

  49. 21 and 35 and 48

  50. Limit 49 to yr. = “2006-current”