Table 1. Study characteristics and methodological quality of studies.

Author, Year, Country	Aim	Sample	Methods	Theoretical Perspective	Quality score (CASP)
Boudioni et al 2015 UK [26]	To explore service users’ and family carers’ perspectives of an integrated care service in London	5 service users with complex health conditions and 5 carers	Video stories analysed between researchers and service users, as part of an experience-based co-design evaluation	Principles of visual sociology	8.5
Hu (2014) UK [27]	To examine service users’ views of the impact of an integrated care service in England	100 older care service users surveyed, then 27 older adults aged ≥ 65 years with complex care needs selected	Mixed methods: survey then face-to-face interviews with sub-sample of participants	Not specified	5.5
Ballie et al (2014) UK [28]	To investigate service users’ and providers’ perspectives of care transitions in a vertically organised integrated healthcare system	17 providers, including range of acute (N = 8) and community care providers (N = 9) and 4 older adults with frailty aged ≥ 70 years	Qualitative case study using face-to-face interviews with key staff and patients, and focus groups with ward staff	Ritchie & Spencer’s (1994) five-stage framework analysis	8
Bone et al (2016) UK [29]	To explore views of service users and other key stakeholders to inform development of a short-term community-based integrated palliative and supportive care intervention for OPF	63 participants (healthcare providers, commissioners, voluntary sector representatives, carers, researchers) took part in stakeholder consultations; 42 participants (providers, carers, researchers) took part in survey; 8 frail older people aged ≥ 75 years and 9 carers	Expert stakeholder consultations and follow-up consensus surveys with providers, carers and researchers; focus groups with service users and carers	Not specified	10
Sheaff et al (2009) UK [30]	To elicit service users’, carers’ and providers’ perspectives on the impacts of different case management systems across 9 primary care trusts in England	Range of providers working in acute, primary, secondary and community care (N = 70); 72 older people aged ≥ 65 years with range of long term conditions, and 52 informal carers	Multiple case study evaluation design; face-to-face interviews, observations of meetings and analysis of key documents	Not specified	7
de Stampa et al (2009) Canada [31]	To examine incentives and barriers among GPs to take part in integrated health services networks (IHSNs) to enable integrated care for frail older adults in Montreal	61 GPs enrolled in an integrated care system for older adults, of which a random sample of 22 GPs actively or non-actively participating in IHSNs recruited	Initial mail survey, then subsample of GPs took part in face-to-face interviews	Not specified	7.5
Heckman et al (2013) Canada [32]	To identify providers’, service users’ and carers’ perspectives on improving integration care for frail seniors in Ontario	186 providers in primary, secondary and community care and 29 service users and carers	Secondary analysis of 20 focus group discussions	Not specified	7
Lafortune et al (2015) Canada [33]	To explore older adults’, carers’ and providers’ views on improving primary healthcare community services for older adults with long term conditions in an area of Ontario	Range of healthcare providers (N = 20); 28 service users aged ≥ 65 with experience of one or more services (e.g. chronic disease management, end of life care) and their informal carers	Focus groups with care providers (N = 4) and service users and carers (N = 3), and individual interview with informal carer	Not specified	7.5
McAiney et al (2017) Canada [34]	To examine service users’, carers’ and providers’ perceptions of the impact of an intensive geriatric service worker (IGSW) service in South Ontario	19 providers (IGSW program lead, case manager, nurses, geriatrician); 49 service users aged ≥ 65 with age-related conditions; 25 informal carers	Mixed methods design; initial patient satisfaction survey; purposive sample of all stakeholders took part in telephone interviews (N = 93)	Not specified	6.5
Spoorenberg et al (2015) The Netherlands [35]	To examine service users’ views of a community-based integrated care intervention based on the Chronic Care Model	23 older adults aged ≥ 75 years, mostly with frailty or complex needs, sampled from a trial	Face-to-face interviews 8–10 months after starting the intervention	Grounded theory approach	9
Janssen et al (2015) The Netherlands [36]	To examine providers’ views of organisational features facilitating implementation of community integrated care for older adults	12 providers (nurses, case managers, GP, nursing home manager, homecare worker, geriatrician)	Qualitative case study: face-to-face interviews, observations of team meetings, then focus groups to discuss findings	Nomological network of organisational empowerment (Peterson & Zimmerman 2004)	8.5
Metzelthin et al (2013) The Netherlands [37]	To examine service users’ and providers’ experiences of an interdisciplinary primary care model for OPF, and perceived barriers and enablers to implementation in south Holland	45 care providers (nurses, GPs, allied health providers); 194 service users aged ≥ 70 years scoring ≥ 5 on the Groningen Frailty Indicator. Participants recruited from 6 GP practices	Mixed methods process evaluation: quantitative log books and evaluation forms for all service users; interviews with subsample of 13 participants; focus groups (N = 4) and interviews (N = 12) with providers	Baranowski and Stables’ (2000) process evaluation model	7.5
Hjelm et al (2015) Sweden [38]	To explore service users’ experiences of case managers	13 older adults aged ≥ 75 years with ≥ 3 long term conditions who received the case management intervention	Focused ethnographic approach including observations of case manager practices and face-to-face interviews	Roper & Shapira’s (2000) framework for ethnographic analysis	8
Dunér et al (2011) Sweden [39]	To examine providers’ views of implementing a new continuum of care model for frail older people	26 providers (upper managers, nurses, allied health providers, social workers, case managers)	Repeat face-to-face interviews, as part of a trial of the intervention	Lipsky’s (1980) theory of street-level bureaucracy	6
Freij et al (2011) USA [40]	To examine older adults’ experiences of care coordination services in the New York City area	48 older adults aged ≥ 55 years (majority ≥ 75 years) from multi-ethnic backgrounds, targeting older adults with frailty	Face-to-face interviews (N = 25) and focus groups (N = 6)	Grounded theory approach	7.5
Keefe et al (2009) USA [41]	To examine primary care physicians’ and nurses’ views of implementing integrated care for frail older people, and the benefits of social worker integration in primary care teams	25 providers (13 physicians, 11 nurses, 1 nurse practitioner) working in primary care	Focus groups (N = 3) conducted at 2 primary care clinics	Grounded theory approach	5.5
Busetto et al (2017) Germany [42]	To explore providers’ views of implementing an integrated care model in a German hospital, as part of a comparative European project	15 MDT care providers (physicians, nurses, allied health providers, psychologists, social workers)	Face-to-face interviews	Wagner's (1998) Chronic Care Model, Grol and Wensing's (2004) Implementation Model, Realist evaluation approach	8.5
de Stampa et al (2013) Canada/France [43]	To understand the clinical collaboration process between primary care physicians (PCPs), case managers and geriatricians in two integrated care systems for frail older adults	46 care providers (35 PCPs, 7 case managers, 4 geriatricians)	Face-to-face interviews	Grounded theory approach	7.5