A scoping review protocol of non-verbal communication utilised in peri-interventive dental and medical procedures

Dental operative procedures, by their interventive nature, impede the opportunity for peri-intervention verbal communication between patients and clinicians. This can impair trust, consent, and shared decision making with the potential of adversely affecting patient dignity, and potentially resulting in suboptimal clinical outcomes.This scoping review aims to interrogate the literature concerning non-verbal communication methods used in dental and medical practices during peri-interventive procedures, in aiding communication between clinician and patient. We will also ascertain how these align with the Limited Capacity Model of Motivated Mediated Message Processing (LC4MP) communication theory.

The framework proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis extension for scoping reviews, will be used to guide this scoping review and reporting methodology. Selected electronic databases (Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library and Scopus), PsychInfo, CINAHL and grey literature sources will be searched.Inclusion criteria are: articles written in the English language, publications between 2000 and 2025, peer-reviewed empirical studies, with either qualitative or quantitative data, mixed methods, reviews, book chapters and grey literature with a principal focus on non-verbal communication in the healthcare setting.A narrative synthesis will be conducted, with results reported according to elements of LCM4P theory: cognitive load, motivated messaging, message processing and memory.

This scoping review will contribute to our methodological and theoretical understanding of the use of non-verbal communication strategies in clinical settings.