ABSTRACT
This chapter presents four original papers, published in peer-reviewed journals in the fields of health and social care, which show how the principles of complexity can be incorporated into a research methodology in order to deepen our understanding of some common challenges in general practice. The first paper tentatively explored whether, when discussing the nature of clinical practice in the context of joint working, health and social care professionals expressed some views about the deeper nature of clinical practice and the context in which they practised. The next two papers collated empirical data about 'personal significance'. This final paper focuses on another aspect of personal significance, which is enshrined in the reciprocity that lies at the heart of its definition. The healthcare professionals and patients who participated in this study showed broad agreement in their explanations of the aetiology and drug treatment of asthma.
