Table 2 Search engines, string, and inclusion/exclusion criteria

Search String

(hospital OR inpatient OR psychiatr* OR "care unit*" OR "care hom*" OR "elderly hom*" OR hospice OR clinic* OR ward) AND ("visiting dog" OR "support dog" OR "therapy dog" OR "animal-assisted activit*" OR "animal-assisted therapy" OR "resident animal*" OR "support animal*")

Inclusion Criteria

1. English or German.

2. Primary Research.

3. Support animals (or similar) in healthcare units/wards/centres (not at home or for individual use) are one part of the topic of the article.

4. Measured (subjective or objective) effects on healthcare staff (e.g. mood, physical or mental health, work presence or absence et cetera) are one part of the topic of the article.

Exclusion Criteria

1. Legal, ethical, logistical, or administrative challenges only.

2. The exploration/discussion of the perception of-, effects on-, and challenges presented to, et cetera of healthcare staff is about bias toward the support animal-patient relationship.