Table 1 Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Study design

Empirical studies, regardless of study designs (qualitative, quantitative, and mixed) that meet the review objective.

Quantitative studies

 • Randomized trials

 • Non-randomized trials

 • On-group pre-post studies

 • Cohort studies

 • Case-control studies

 • Cross-sectional studies

 • Time-series analyses

Qualitative studies

 • Qualitative interviews

 • Focus groups

 • Ethnographic observations

 • Qualitative case studies

Mixed methods studies

Systematically conducted reviews

 • Meta-analyses

 • Systematic reviews

 • Realist reviews

 • Integrative reviews

 • Scoping reviews

 • Narrative reviews

Non-empirical studies (editorials, opinion texts, theoretical discussions, commentaries, case reports, newspaper, historical articles, lecture notes, presentations, personal narratives)

Non-systematically conducted reviews.

 • Meta-analyses

 • Systematic reviews

 • Realist reviews

 • Integrative reviews

 • Scoping reviews

 • Narrative reviews

Setting

LTC homes, also referred to as nursing homes, care homes and aged care facilities

Hospital, community, home care (private homes), assisted living/supportive housing, retirement homes, and equivalent settings

Study Population

Studies in which the average or the median age of residents is ≥ 65 years, or studies where participants are referred to as aged/elderly/older individuals, seniors, or residents.

Studies that included older and younger adults will be included if results for people aged ≥ 65 years are reported separately.

Residents must have pain, either acute or chronic assessed using a standardized clinical assessment tool

We will focus on both acute (sudden onset) or chronic (pain lasting 3 months or more) [64] in this study

Studies that do not include participants aged ≥ 65 years.

Studies that include participants aged 65 years or older but that do not report results of people aged ≥ 65 years separately

Study Focus

Studies including HRQoL as primary, or secondary outcomes assessed using a formal HRQoL assessment tool.

Studies reporting statistically significant positive association, negative association, or non-significant association between factors and HRQoL for LTC residents with pain.

Factors may include:

(a) resident factors: physical and cognitive functioning, resilience, coping strategies, optimism, purpose in life).

(b) socio-economic factors: social support, social engagement, economic resource) [38, 39, 44, 45, 99, 100]; and

c) LTC factors: characteristics, care practices, policies, care model, care home organizational context such as leadership, staffing, resources, work culture, evaluation, communication, etc.

Intervention studies that exclusively report the effectiveness of pain treatment approaches including pharmacological (i.e., analgesic, and non-analgesic drugs) and non-pharmacological approaches (e.g., music therapy, tai chi, acupuncture, etc.)