Objective,2,To analyze the prescription rules of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the treatment of constipation from the real-world perspective by mining the clinical information system.,Methods,2,The diagnosis and treatment information of patients diagnosed as constipation in the Health Information System of Yueyang Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine was collected from February 2015 to February 2019, and the Excel database was established. The frequency, four qi, five flavors, meridian tropism and efficacy of high frequency traditional Chinese herbal medicines(TCHMs) were analyzed with Microsoft Office Excel 2003 software; with SPSS Modeler 18.0 software the association rules of the core data were analyzed under Apriori algorithm to construct a network chart with web nodes. Factor analysis was also conducted with SPSS 16.0 statistical software.,Results,2,①A total of 16,416 constipated patients receiving TCM decoction treatment were included, which involved 731 kinds of TCHMs. ②The top five TCHMs plants frequently used were Gancao (,Radix Glycyrrhizae,), Huomaren (,Fructus Cannabis,), Baizhu (,Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae,), Zhishi (,Fructus Aurantii Immaturus,), and Houpo (,Cortex Magnoliae Officinalis,). Clinically, TCHMs used for constipation treatment were mainly warm, neutral and slightly cold in property, sweet and bitter in taste, mostly entering the spleen meridian, followed by stomach meridian, large intestine meridian and lung meridian. ③According to the efficacy classification, the top 3 TCHM categories in terms of use frequency were qi-invigorating TCHMs, qi-regulating TCHMs and heat-clearing TCHM. ④The results of association rule analysis showed that the TCHM combination with the highest confidence (88.28%) was Houpo (,Cortex Magnoliae Officinalis,)-Laifuzi (,Semen Raphani,)-Roucongrong (,Herba Cistanches,)-Dafupi (,Pericarpium Arecae,); A total of 11 strongly related TCHM pairs were obtained, and the top 5 TCHM pairs were Gancao (,Radix Glycyrrhizae,)-Baizhu (,Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae,), Gancao (,Radix Glycyrrhizae,)-Huomaren (,Fructus Cannabis,), Zhishi (,Fructus Aurantii Immaturus,)-Huomaren (,Fructus Cannabis,), Baizhu (,Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae,)-Huomaren (,Fructus Cannabis,), and Houpo (,Cortex Magnoliae Officinalis,)-Huomaren (,Fructus Cannabis,). ⑤Combined with TCM theoretical knowledge, 9 common factors obtained from factor analysis suggested that the prescriptions applied clinically to treat constipation were mostly modified based on classic prescriptions such as Huangqi Sijunzi Decoction, Zengye Decoction, Wuren Pill and so on.,Conclusion,2,The clinical treatment of constipation mainly adopts the idea of promoting qi circulation and resolving stagnation, dredging fu-organs and descending qi. The overall treatment methods include dredging, tonifying and moistening, and Baizhu (,Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae,) is commonly used to invigorate spleen and benefit qi, and to treat obstruction with tonics.