Instruments for Measuring Self-Efficacy in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Systematic Review.

Self-efficacy significantly impacts the quality of life for individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Identifying effective measurement tools is crucial for optimizing self-management programs. This systematic review evaluated the psychometric properties of self-efficacy instruments for patients with RA, searching eight databases from 1989 to March 2025. Using COSMIN guidelines and the GRADE system, 17 studies on eight instruments were analyzed. None reported measurement error, hypothesis testing, or responsiveness. The Arabic Self-Efficacy for Managing Chronic Disease scale was a level C recommendation due to internal consistency issues; seven others were level B. The joint protection self-efficacy scale showed better reliability and validity, tentatively recommended for RA self-efficacy assessment, but requires further validation. Future research should develop and assess additional self-efficacy tools for RA patients.