Technology-assisted methods to assess the quality of the therapeutic alliance between health care providers and patients: a scoping review protocol.

Objective: The goal of this review is to identify and summarize technology-assisted methods that are being used in clinical, research, or educational settings to assess non-verbal behaviors that have been identified as contributors to the quality of the therapeutic alliance between health care providers and patients.

Introduction: A strong therapeutic alliance is a critical component of positive patient outcomes. A health care provider's non-verbal behaviors help build a strong therapeutic alliance, but practice with expert feedback is often required to develop desirable non-verbal behaviors.