Supplementary Material for: A Protocol for a Systematic Review of Qualitative Studies Exploring the Perception of Unmet Needs by Informal Caregivers of Older People in Portugal

Background: The number of informal caregivers continues to rise worldwide. In Portugal, 10% of the population are informal caregivers and recent studies suggest that current government policies may not adequately support this population. This review aimed to find and synthesize relevant research on perceptions of unmet needs of informal caregivers of older people in Portugal. Methods/Design: A qualitative synthesis approach will be used. Electronic searches will be conducted on PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Academic Search Complete, and CINAHL. Gray literature will be searched through Portuguese databases and contact with researchers and patient organizations. Qualitative studies that evaluated Portuguese caregivers’ perceptions of unmet needs will be eligible. We will restrict to papers written in Spanish, English, or Portuguese and no date limitations will be applied. Data will be synthesized, and quality assessment will be done using CASP tool for qualitative research. PROSPERO registration number ID: CRD42022334859. Discussion: Findings from this future systematic review may lead to a better understanding of informal caregiving of older people in Portugal and may lead to the development of new policies and recommendations.

研究背景：全球范围内非正规照护者（informal caregivers）的规模持续扩大。在葡萄牙，10%的人口为非正规照护者，近期研究表明当前的政府政策或未能为该群体提供充足的支持。本系统综述旨在检索并整合葡萄牙老年人群非正规照护者未被满足需求感知相关的研究成果。
研究方法与设计：本研究采用定性整合研究范式。将在PubMed、EMBASE、PsycINFO、Web of Science、Academic Search Complete及CINAHL等电子数据库中开展系统性文献检索。灰色文献将通过葡萄牙本土数据库、联系研究者与患者组织的途径进行搜集。纳入标准为评估葡萄牙非正规照护者未被满足需求感知的定性研究。研究将限定文献语言为西班牙语、英语或葡萄牙语，不设置发表时间限制。将对纳入研究的数据进行整合，并采用针对定性研究的CASP工具开展质量评价。本研究已在PROSPERO平台完成注册，注册号为CRD42022334859。
讨论：本项即将开展的系统综述的研究结果，将有助于深化对葡萄牙老年人群非正规照护现状的认知，并可为相关政策的优化与指导建议的制定提供参考依据。