It is a significant issue about promotion of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in Chinese health care system. Currently there is a great number of research about assessment and improvement of safety and efficacy of TCM using modern medical technology, but there is few research about the acceptance of TCM among patients. Thus, there is no sociological and psychological evidence for the promotion of TCM, and it is necessary for us to do such kind of research. Low back pain (LBP) is a common disease in modern society, and there has not been well recognized therapy for it. Acupuncture and Physical therapy are both common used therapies. The objective of the research is to study LBP patients’ preference for acupuncture or physical therapy, in order to find out what factors influence patients’ treatment choice, and under which conditions patients prefer TCM rather than others. Qualitative research is applied in this research. From semi-structured, face-to-face interview with low back pain outpatients in acupuncture department at a Traditional Chinese Medicine hospital, and LBP outpatients in rehabilitation department at a general hospital at Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, to get factors affecting patients’ choice of treatment. The results show that, factors influence patients’ treatment choice include elements during treatment process, such as treatment form and feelings during the process; treatment outcomes, such as time to effect, final effect, duration of effect and possible side effect; cost; hospitals and physicians. When patients believe in TCM, or believe in a specific physician, or patients suffer from severe illness and hear that TCM is effective for the disease, they choose TCM. Key Words：Traditional Chinese Medicine; Patient preference; Low back pain；Qualitative research；Acupuncture; Physical therapy

有關中醫藥如何發展及推廣，一直是我國衛生政策決策人、醫藥界學者和醫 藥產業界人士所關心的話題。目前大量的研究都專注於用現代醫學的手段評價及 提高中醫藥的有效性和安全性，而很少有研究著眼於病人是否接受中醫治療，因 而中醫藥的推廣缺乏社會學及心理學方面的依據，有必要從具體疾病入手，研究 我國病人對於中醫藥的偏好問題。下背疼痛是當今社會的高發疾病，在當今醫學 界尚無公認的最有效的治療方法。針灸治療和物理治療都是下背疼痛的常用治療 方法，研究下背疼痛病人對於針灸和物理治療的選擇，有助於瞭解影響病人就診 偏好的因素。本研究的目的就是找出影響下背疼痛病人選擇針灸治療和物理治療 的因素，以及探尋病人在什麼情況下會選擇中醫治療。 本研究採用質性研究的方法。通過對廣東省一家三甲級中醫院針灸科接受針 灸治療的下背疼痛門診病人和一家三甲級綜合醫院康復科接受物理治療的下背 疼痛門診病人進行半結構式面對面訪談，來獲取下背疼痛病人在選擇治療方法時 考慮的因素。 研究結果顯示，病人在選擇治療方法時會考慮治療過程中的因素（治療方 式、治療過程的感覺）、治療結果（起效時間、最終治療效果、治療效果的維持 時間及副作用）、價格、醫院和醫師。當病人有著中醫治療情節、信賴某位醫師、 或者病人病情比較嚴重，而通過各種途徑得到的資訊表示中醫有效時，會首選中 醫治療。 關鍵詞：中醫藥；病人偏好；下背疼痛；質性研究；針灸治療； 物理治療