Table 2 Inclusion and exclusion criteria based on the Population, Concept and Context (PCC) framework

Population

Older adults with chronic conditions

Studies were included if they:

• Describe the perspectives of older adults with chronic conditions.

 ο If the study doesn’t mention older adults explicitly, older adults were defined as adults aged 65 or above^a.

 ο Chronic condition was defined as ‘conditions that cannot, at present, be cured but is controlled by medication and/or other treatment/therapies’^b.

Focus exclusively on:

• Other age groups (eg. Children) or caregivers or health and social care professionals or any other group OR

• Acute conditions

Concept

Need for care and support

Studies were included if they:

• Discuss care and support needs of older adults. This was defined as ‘tasks or challenges faced by older adults in their daily lives that are related to their physical and/or mental illness or condition, and for which they need/want external assistance or support.’ OR

• Describe the lived experience of older adults with chronic conditions OR

• Describe care seeking behaviours of older adults in emergency or primary care

Focus exclusively on:

• The prevalence/incidence of a chronic condition OR

• Disease diagnosis/ aetiology/ clinical management OR

• Development, evaluation or assessment of interventions, services or clinical tools OR

• Determinants of health such as income, social status, education level, employment, genetics, gender, race, biomarkers. OR

• Financial needs such as housing benefits or pension credit

Context

Living at home in the United Kingdom

Studies were included if they:

• Are based in the United Kingdom. AND

• Include participants living in their own homes.

Focus exclusively on:

• Older adults’ experiences in care and residential homes, inpatient clinics or hospitals or other settings such as prison. OR

• Non-UK setting.