Table 1 Literature search strategy

MEDLINE OVID

 1. exp hermeneutics/ (310)

 2. hermenutic*.ti,ab. (3,585)

 3. 1 or 2. (3307)

 4. (implement* or adapt* or adopt* or improve*).ti,ab. (2,932,305)

 5. 3 and 4. (616)

Embase OVID

 1. exp hermeneutics/ (320)

 2. hermenutic*.ti,ab. (3,634)

 3. 1 or 2 (3671)

 4. (implement* or adapt* or adopt* or improve*).ti,ab. (3,865,590)

 5. 3 and 4. (703)

EBM Reviews

 1. hermeneutic*.ti,ab.(18)

 2. (implement* or adapt* or adopt* or improve*).ti,ab. (289,601)

 3. 1 and 2 (9)

PubMed

 1. Hermeneutic [Title/Abstract] OR "Hermeneutics"[Mesh]) AND (implement[Title/Abstract] OR adapt[Title/Abstract] OR adopt[Title/Abstract] OR (improve[Title/Abstract]) (287)

CINAHL Ebsco

 1. TI hermeneutic* OR AB hermeneutic*(3,502)

 2. TI ( (implement* or adapt* or adopt* or improve*) ) OR AB ( (implement* or adapt* or adopt* or improve*) ) (663,590)

 3. 1 and 2 (649)

PsycInfo Ebsco

 1. TI hermeneutic* OR AB hermeneutic*(6,578)

 2. DE "Hermeneutics"(2,048)

 3. 1 OR 2(6,796)

 4. TI ( (implement* or adapt* or adopt* or improve*) ) OR AB ( (implement* or adapt* or adopt* or improve*) ) (695,097)

 5. 3 AND 4 (890)

Web of Science

 1. TS=hermeneutic* Indexes=SCI-EXPANDED, SSCI, A&HCI, CPCI-S, CPCI-SSH, ESCI Timespan=All years (16,447)

 2. TS= (implement* OR adapt* OR adopt* OR improve*) (6,627,276)

 3. 1 AND 2 (1,301)

Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI)

 1. hermeneutic*.ti,ab.(0)

 2. hermeneutic*.mp. [mp=text, heading word, subject area node, title](75)

 3. (implement* or adapt* or adopt* or improve*).mp. [mp=text, heading word, subject area node, title] (4,762)

 4. 2 AND 3 (71)