Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 17, 2026

Characterization of Complex Systems Using the Design of Experiments Approach: Transient Protein Expression in Tobacco as a Case Study

Characterization of Complex Systems Using the Design of Experiments Approach: Transient Protein Expression in Tobacco as a Case Study

Published on: January 31, 2014

Simulation study to determine the impact of different design features on design efficiency in discrete choice

Thuva Vanniyasingam¹, Charles E Cunningham², Gary Foster³

¹Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

|July 21, 2016

Abstract

Objectives:

Discrete choice experiments (DCEs) are routinely used to elicit patient preferences to improve health outcomes and healthcare services. While many fractional factorial designs can be created, some are more statistically optimal than others. The objective of this simulation study was to investigate how varying the number of (1) attributes, (2) levels within attributes, (3) alternatives and (4) choice tasks per survey will improve or compromise the statistical efficiency of an experimental design.

Design And Methods:

A total of 3204 DCE designs were created to assess how relative design efficiency (d-efficiency) is influenced by varying the number of choice tasks (2-20), alternatives (2-5), attributes (2-20) and attribute levels (2-5) of a design. Choice tasks were created by randomly allocating attribute and attribute level combinations into alternatives.

Outcome:

Relative d-efficiency was used to measure the optimality of each DCE design.

Results:

DCE design complexity influenced statistical efficiency. Across all designs, relative d-efficiency decreased as the number of attributes and attribute levels increased. It increased for designs with more alternatives. Lastly, relative d-efficiency converges as the number of choice tasks increases, where convergence may not be at 100% statistical optimality.

Conclusions:

Achieving 100% d-efficiency is heavily dependent on the number of attributes, attribute levels, choice tasks and alternatives. Further exploration of overlaps and block sizes are needed. This study's results are widely applicable for researchers interested in creating optimal DCE designs to elicit individual preferences on health services, programmes, policies and products.

Keywords:

conjoint analysis design efficiency discrete choice experiment patient preferences

More Related Videos

Efficient Sampling of Genetically Encoded Biosensor Design Space Enabled with a Design of Experiments and Automation Workflow

Efficient Sampling of Genetically Encoded Biosensor Design Space Enabled with a Design of Experiments and Automation Workflow

Published on: October 17, 2025

Evaluation of an Exclusive Spur Dike U-Turn Design with Radar-Collected Data and Simulation

Evaluation of an Exclusive Spur Dike U-Turn Design with Radar-Collected Data and Simulation

Published on: February 1, 2020

Related Concept Videos

Bioequivalence Experimental Study Designs: Repeated Measures, Cross-Over, Carry-Over, and Latin Square Designs

Bioequivalence Experimental Study Designs: Repeated Measures, Cross-Over, Carry-Over, and Latin Square Designs

Bioequivalence experimental study designs play a pivotal role in testing the effectiveness of various treatments. Key among these are the repeated measures, cross-over, carry-over, and Latin square designs. In the repeated measures design, each subject receives all treatments, allowing for temporal comparisons. This type of design is useful in reducing variability but requires careful planning to avoid bias.The cross-over design, an economical method, involves sequential administration of...

Study Design in Statistics

Study Design in Statistics

A study design is a set of techniques that allow a researcher to collect and analyze data from different variables defined for a specific research problem. Statistics is commonly for effective study design and more robust experiments,
Does aspirin reduce the risk of heart attacks? Is one brand of fertilizer more effective at growing roses than another? Is fatigue as dangerous to a driver as the influence of alcohol? Questions like these are answered using randomized experiments with proper...

Bioequivalence Experimental Study Designs: Completely Randomized and Randomized Block Designs

Bioequivalence Experimental Study Designs: Completely Randomized and Randomized Block Designs

Bioequivalence experimental study designs are crucial methodologies used in evaluating and comparing the bioavailability of different drug products. These designs are categorized into various types: completely randomized, randomized block, repeated measures, cross and carry-over, and Latin square designs.Completely randomized designs involve randomly allocating treatments to all subjects participating in the experiment. This allocation is achieved by assigning unique random numbers to subjects...

Factorial Design

Factorial Design

Factorial Analysis is an experimental design that applies Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) statistical procedures to examine a change in a dependent variable due to more than one independent variable, also known as factors. Changes in worker productivity can be reasoned, for example, to be influenced by salary and other conditions, such as skill level. One way to test this hypothesis is by categorizing salary into three levels (low, moderate, and high) and skills sets into two levels (entry level...

Experimental Designs

Experimental Designs

An experimental design is a systematic process that allows researchers to evaluate the relationship between dependent and independent variables. There are three widely used types of experimental design - pre-experimental design, true experimental design, and quasi-experimental design. In pre-experimental design, the researcher compares the data before and after some interventions or treatments. The true-experimental design has more than one purposefully created group, a commonly measured...

Study Designs in Epidemiology

Study Designs in Epidemiology

Epidemiological study designs are fundamental tools for investigating the distribution, determinants, and control of health conditions in populations. They help researchers understand the relationships between exposures and outcomes, and they broadly fall into two categories: "observational" and "experimental" studies.
Observational studies are those where the researcher does not intervene but rather observes natural variations. They include cross-sectional, cohort, and...

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Effect of Naltrexone HCl and Bupropion HCl (Contrave) Extended-Release Tablet (NB-ER) for Weight Maintenance in Adult Patients After a 6-Month Intensive Behaviour Modification Program Combined With Meal Replacements.

Clinical obesity·2026

Three-year outcomes of repeated botulinum neurotoxin A injections to the lower extremities in young children with spastic cerebral palsy in GMFCS levels I to III.

Developmental medicine and child neurology·2025

Commonly used interventional procedures for non-cancer chronic spine pain: a clinical practice guideline.

BMJ (Clinical research ed.)·2025

Statistical analysis plan for the SQUEEZE trial: A trial to determine whether septic shock reversal is quicker in pediatric patients randomized to an early goal-directed fluid-sparing strategy vs. usual care (SQUEEZE).

Critical care and resuscitation : journal of the Australasian Academy of Critical Care Medicine·2024

Effects of Naltrexone on Sleep Quality and Periodic Breathing at High Altitude.

High altitude medicine & biology·2024

Computerized clinical decision support to improve stroke prevention therapy in primary care management of atrial fibrillation: a cluster randomized trial.

American heart journal·2024

See all related articles