Table 1 Search strategy

Chronic disease OR chronic illness OR diabetes OR chronic heart failure OR chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Time use OR time management OR waiting time OR time burden AND

Health treatment OR health consultation OR management OR self-manag* AND

Health care consumer OR patient or carer AND

Health OR health care OR primary health care OR access

Inclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria

Resources searched

· English language

· Concerned with health professional time only

Medline

· Peer reviewed

· Non-specific descriptions of time and health related activities

PubMed

· Publication dates between 1990 and 2010

CINAHL

· Concerned health related activities undertaken by the individual with chronic illness and/or a carer

Two journals:

· Reported qualitative or quantitative findings

· Time and Society;

· Sociology of Health and Illness

Snowballing based on references in selected articles and “related articles”