Scale-Description

The Adherence Self-Efficacy Scale (ASES) is a psychometric tool used to assess an individual’s self-efficacy in adhering to medical guidelines, such as taking medications, participating in therapeutic procedures, and making lifestyle changes. Self-efficacy refers to a person’s belief that they can successfully follow a specific program or achieve certain goals, even under challenging conditions.
The ASES is often used in studies involving chronic conditions (e.g., diabetes, hypertension, HIV/AIDS), where accurate treatment adherence is critical for improving health and avoiding complications.

Data Analysis and Use

The ASES typically contains 20-30 questions, though variations may exist depending on the adaptation of the scale to a particular population or medical condition. Each question assesses the individual’s confidence in following a specific behavior or treatment in various situations (e.g., “How confident are you that you can take your medication even when you are busy or feeling unwell?”).
Responses are evaluated using a 4- or 5-point Likert scale, where participants select how confident they feel about their ability to adhere to the instructions (ranging from “Not confident at all” to “Very confident”).
The data collected from the ASES can be used for several purposes:
Assessing treatment adherence: The scale allows researchers and clinicians to understand patients’ self-efficacy, helping predict the level of adherence to therapeutic guidelines.
Designing interventions: Based on the scale’s results, interventions can be created to increase the patient’s self-efficacy, helping them overcome barriers to adherence.
Evaluating intervention success: After interventions or educational programs aimed at improving adherence, re-assessing the scale results can demonstrate the effectiveness of these actions.

Purpose

The main purpose of the ASES is to measure an individual’s belief in their ability to follow therapeutic guidelines. This is particularly important in cases of chronic conditions, where adherence to instructions is directly related to the patient’s health outcomes. Additionally, the scale helps identify patients who may need additional support to improve their self-efficacy.

Calibration

Calibration of the ASES depends on the specific version of the scale. It is typically done using statistical analyses (such as reliability analysis and confirmatory factor analysis) to determine if the scale accurately measures what it is intended to (adherence through self-efficacy). The reliability of the scale is usually measured by the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, which should be above 0.70 to be considered satisfactory.

References

Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York: W.H. Freeman.
Lorig, K. et al. (1996). Development and validation of a scale to measure perceived self-efficacy in people with arthritis. Arthritis & Rheumatology, 9(3), 153-159.
DiMatteo, M. R. (2004). Social support and patient adherence: A meta-analysis. Health Psychology, 23(2), 207-218.
Shellmer, D., & Zelikovsky, N. (2007). The challenges of using adherence self-efficacy scales with children and adolescents. Pediatric Transplantation, 11(5), 624-631.