Table 2 Search strings used for searching databases stratified by organising concepts*

Pubmed

((((((((((vulnerability[Title/Abstract]) OR vulnerab*[Title/Abstract]) OR fragility[Title/Abstract]) OR frailty[Title/Abstract]) OR frail[Title/Abstract]) OR fragilit*[Title/Abstract]) OR frailness[Title/Abstract]) OR frailties[Title/Abstract])) OR "Frailty"[Mesh]))

AND

((((("Dementia"[Mesh:NoExp] OR dementia [Title/Abstract])) OR ((((((((((aged[Title/Abstract]) OR aging[Title/Abstract]) OR ageing) OR elder*) OR elderly) OR older people) OR older adult*) OR old people)) OR "Aging"[Mesh:NoExp]) OR (("Aged"[Mesh])))))

AND

(((("Ethics"[Mesh] OR "Philosophy"[Mesh] OR ethic* OR philosophy OR bioethic*[Title/Abstract] OR philosophical[Title/Abstract] OR moral[Title/Abstract] OR morals[Title/Abstract]))) OR ("Anthropology, Medical"[Mesh] OR "anthropologic*" [Title/Abstract]))

Embase

vulnerability:ti,ab,kw OR vulnerab*:ti,ab,kw OR fragility:ti,ab,kw OR fragilit*:ti,ab,kw OR frailty:ti,ab,kw OR frailties:ti,ab,kw OR frailness:ti,ab,kw

AND

'aged'/de OR 'aged hospital patient'/de OR 'frail elderly'/exp OR 'institutionalized elderly'/exp OR 'very elderly'/exp OR 'aging'/de OR 'dementia'/de OR aged:ti,ab,kw OR ageing:ti,ab,kw OR elder*:ti,ab,kw OR elderly:ti,ab,kw OR 'older people':ti,ab,kw OR 'old people':ti,ab,kw OR 'older adults':ti,ab,kw OR dementia:ti,ab,kw

AND

'medical anthropology'/exp OR anthropologic* OR 'ethics'/exp OR 'philosophy'/exp OR 'ethics':ab,ti,kw OR 'ethical':ab,ti,kw OR 'philosophy':ab,ti,kw OR 'philosophical':ab,ti,kw OR 'bioethics':ab,ti,kw OR 'bioethical':ab,ti,kw OR 'moral':ab,ti,kw OR 'morals':ab,ti,kw

Web of Science

TS = (vulnerability OR vulnerab* OR fragility OR frailty OR fragilit* OR frailness OR frailties)

AND

TS = (aged OR aging OR ageing OR elder* OR elderly OR older people OR old people OR older adult* OR dementia)

AND

TS = (ethics OR ethical OR philosophy OR philosophical OR bioethics OR bioethical OR moral OR morals OR medical anthropology)

Philosopher’s Index

noft(vulnerability OR vulnerable OR vulnerab* OR fragility OR frailty OR fragilit* OR frailness OR frailties)

AND

noft(aged OR aging OR ageing OR elder* OR elderly OR older people OR old people OR older adult* OR dementia)

AND

noft(ethics OR ethical OR philosophy OR bioethics OR bioethical OR moral OR morals OR medical anthropology)