Origins, Applications, and Challenges of Factorial Design in Implementation Science

Jiangyun CHEN; Chaoyue WANG; Meng WANG; Yeqing ZHAN; Duqiao LI; Yifei WANG; Xueying CHEN; Yuling CHEN; Na REN

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Origins, Applications, and Challenges of Factorial Design in Implementation Science

VernacularTitle:析因设计在实施科学中的起源、应用与挑战
Author: Jiangyun CHEN ¹ ; Chaoyue WANG ² ; Meng WANG ² ; Yeqing ZHAN ² ; Duqiao LI ³ ; Yifei WANG ² ; Xueying CHEN ⁴ ; Yuling CHEN ² ; Na REN ⁵
Author Information

1. Acacia Lab for Implementation Science, Department of Health Management, School of Health Management, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China;Center for World Health Organization Studies, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China;Center for Health and Health Policy, Institute of Health Management, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China;Institute for Hospital Management of Henan Province, Zhengzhou 450052, China;
2. Acacia Lab for Implementation Science, Department of Health Management, School of Health Management, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China;
3. Institute for Hospital Management, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China;
4. School of Medicine and Health Management, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China;
5. Institute for Hospital Management of Henan Province, Zhengzhou 450052, China;Zhuhai People's Hospital(The Affiliated Hospital of Beijing Institute of Technology, Zhuhai Clinical Medical College, Jinan University), Zhuhai, Guangdong 519000, China;
Publication Type:Journal Article
Keywords: factorial design; implementation science; implementation research; interaction effects
From: Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital 2026;17(4):1148-1157
CountryChina
Language:Chinese
Abstract:
Factorial design is an important method for optimizing complex strategies in implementation science. This paper systematically elucidates the origin, types, and core concepts of the factorial design, and then use a brief smoking cessation intervention project as an example to illustrate its specific applications in identifying key factors and testing interactions. Factorial design has the following typical advantages: it can test synergistic and antagonistic effects between factors, provide effect estimates that are broadly valid across the experimental conditions, and offer high statistical efficiency. At the same time, it also has certain limitations, including that its complexity is positively correlated with the number of factors, the need for large sample sizes to detect interactions, the potential for insufficient acceptability of some strategy combinations due to ethical concerns or participant burden, and the complexity of the analytical methods required. In future research, its application should be further optimized by appropriately controlling the number of factors, clearly defining research objectives, and evaluating intervention acceptability, in order to promote the development of precision implementation science.