Appendix 1. MEDLINE search strategy

1. exp family/

2. (family or families or parent$2 or relative? or spous$2 or partner? or husband? or wife or wives or child or children or grandchild* or son? or daughter? or sibling? or brother? or sister? or mother? or father?).tw.

3. friends/

4. (friend? or significant other?).ti,ab,kw.

5. 2 or 4

6. (care* or caring).ti,ab,kw.

7. 5 and 6

8. caregivers/

9. (carer* or caregiv* or care giv*).ti,ab,kw.

10. exp home nursing/

11. or/1,3,7‐10

12. exp telephone/

13. (telephon* or phone? or phoning or calls or callback* or call* back* or cellphone? or smartphone? or iphone? or skype).ti,ab,kw.

14. mobile applications/

15. (mobile device* or mobiles or mhealth or m‐health or (portable adj2 app*)).ti,ab,kw.

16. exp telemedicine/

17. telenursing/

18. (telemedicine or tele‐medicine or telecare or tele‐care or telehealth* or tele‐health* or telenursing or ehealth or e‐health).ti,ab,kw.

19. hotlines/

20. (hotline* or help line* or helpline*).ti,ab,kw.

21. or/12‐20

22. 11 and 21

23. exp health personnel/

24. ((health* or medical or paramedical or nurs* or hospital or operating‐room or psychiatric or pharmac*) adj2 (personnel or provider* or professional* or practitioner* or worker* or aide* or assistant* or staff or officer* or specialist* or consultant*)).ti,ab,kw.

25. (doctor* or physician* or general practitioner* or gp or gps or nurse* or clinician* or dentist* or pharmacist* or an?esthetist* or hospitalist* or surgeon* or obstetrician* or gyn?ecologist* or geriatrician* or gerontologist* or therapist* or physiotherapist* or audiologist* or dietitian* or nutritionist* or psychologist* or psychiatrist* or psychotherapist* or counselor* or counsellor* or social worker* or welfare worker*).ti,ab,kw.

26. or/23‐25

27. 22 and 26

28. randomized controlled trial.pt.

29. controlled clinical trial.pt.

30. randomized.ab.

31. placebo.ab.

32. drug therapy.fs.

33. randomly.ab.

34. trial.ab.

35. groups.ab.

36. or/28‐35

37. 27 and 36