• Shu-Yuan Liang, Patsy Yates, Helen Edwards, and Shiow-Luan Tsay.
• Department of Nursing, National Taipei College of Nursing, 365 Ming Te Road, Peitou, Taipei 112, Taiwan. shuyuan@ntcn.edu.tw
• Support Care Cancer. 2012 Feb 1; 20 (2): 199-206.

GoalsThe purpose of this study was to describe the level of opioid-taking self-efficacy amongst Taiwanese outpatients with cancer pain, and to examine the associations between various demographic and medical characteristics and opioid-taking self-efficacy.Materials And MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study. Ninety-two outpatients who had taken prescribed opioid analgesics for cancer related pain in the past 1 week completed the Opioid-Taking Self-Efficacy Scale-CA (OTSES-CA). Details of the medical characteristics were obtained from the patients' medical record.Main ResultsResults show patients in this study were moderately confident of being able to perform many of the key tasks associated with effective opioid-taking. However, for many key behaviours relating to tailoring medication regimens, acquiring help and managing treatment-related concerns, only around one third to slightly more than two fifths reported high confidence. Individuals with lower levels of education and who were experiencing more side effects from opioids reported lower confidence in taking their analgesics.ConclusionsThe results of this study suggest it is important to understand how patients perceive their ability to perform key tasks associated with effective opioid-taking, to effectively tailor educational and supportive interventions. Patients with lower levels of education and with side effects of opioids may be at risk of lower self-efficacy, requiring particular attention.

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