Skip to main content

Main menu

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Current
    • Published Ahead of Print
    • Archive
    • Supplemental Issues
    • Collections - French
    • Collections - English
  • Info for
    • Authors & Reviewers
    • Submit a Manuscript
    • Advertisers
    • Careers & Locums
    • Subscribers
    • Permissions
  • About CFP
    • About CFP
    • About the CFPC
    • Editorial Advisory Board
    • Terms of Use
    • Contact Us
  • Feedback
    • Feedback
    • Rapid Responses
    • Most Read
    • Most Cited
    • Email Alerts
  • Blogs
    • Latest Blogs
    • Blog Guidelines
    • Directives pour les blogues
  • Mainpro+ Credits
    • About Mainpro+
    • Member Login
    • Instructions
  • Other Publications
    • http://www.cfpc.ca/Canadianfamilyphysician/
    • https://www.cfpc.ca/Login/
    • Careers and Locums

User menu

  • My alerts

Search

  • Advanced search
The College of Family Physicians of Canada
  • Other Publications
    • http://www.cfpc.ca/Canadianfamilyphysician/
    • https://www.cfpc.ca/Login/
    • Careers and Locums
  • My alerts
The College of Family Physicians of Canada

Advanced Search

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Current
    • Published Ahead of Print
    • Archive
    • Supplemental Issues
    • Collections - French
    • Collections - English
  • Info for
    • Authors & Reviewers
    • Submit a Manuscript
    • Advertisers
    • Careers & Locums
    • Subscribers
    • Permissions
  • About CFP
    • About CFP
    • About the CFPC
    • Editorial Advisory Board
    • Terms of Use
    • Contact Us
  • Feedback
    • Feedback
    • Rapid Responses
    • Most Read
    • Most Cited
    • Email Alerts
  • Blogs
    • Latest Blogs
    • Blog Guidelines
    • Directives pour les blogues
  • Mainpro+ Credits
    • About Mainpro+
    • Member Login
    • Instructions
  • RSS feeds
  • Follow cfp Template on Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
Book ReviewBook Reviews

Complexity in primary care

Understanding it’s value

Cindy L. Marshall
Canadian Family Physician February 2010; 56 (2) e84-e85;
Cindy L. Marshall
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • eLetters
  • Info & Metrics
  • PDF
Loading
AUTHOR Kieran Sweeney PUBLISHER Radcliffe Publishing Ltd, 18 Marcham Rd, Abingdon OX14 1AA, United Kingdom TELEPHONE 44 (0)1235 528820 FAX 44 (0)1235 528830 WEBSITE www.radcliffe-oxford.com PUBLISHED 2006/165 pp/$51.95
Figure

OVERALL RATING Good

STRENGTHS Thought provoking, organized, intelligent

WEAKNESSES Complex language

AUDIENCE General practitioners, health care organizations, and policy makers

This book deals with health care models that influence the provision of primary care. My first impression of this book was one of intimidation at the unfamiliar language and concepts used to describe these models. The author, however, reviews each model then adds clinical commentary to enhance the understanding of the concepts discussed. He also reaffirms the features of each model during the discussions to facilitate understanding.

This book is divided into chapters, each reviewing the different models that have contributed to the evolution of the current understanding of the practice of medicine. The first chapter questions why it is important to understand how physicians think in order to make decisions in clinical practice. In the subsequent 3 chapters, the author outlines the historical development of the scientific models that determine our current decision-making processes in medicine. Once the foundations of the current models have been discussed, the author uses the next 2 chapters to discuss an enhanced model in health care—that of complexity. He reviews the mathematical theories involved in the understanding of complex systems and differentiates complexity from chaos. Throughout the presentation of the facets of the model, there are clinical examples to illustrate the components of the theory. In the final chapter the author reviews the principles of complexity in relation to 4 of his published articles. I found this section of the text difficult to relate to the previously described principles in the book. However, there is an extensive reference and reading list included in the book and an index to access text easily.

Overall, I thought the author put forth an intriguing, thought-provoking account of the different models of care that underlie current medical practice. His illustration of the model of complexity in medicine further advances understanding of the doctor-patient relationship and ultimately the principles that guide health care policy.

  • Copyright© the College of Family Physicians of Canada
PreviousNext
Back to top

In this issue

Canadian Family Physician: 56 (2)
Canadian Family Physician
Vol. 56, Issue 2
1 Feb 2010
  • Table of Contents
  • About the Cover
  • Index by author
Print
Download PDF
Article Alerts
Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
Email Article

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on The College of Family Physicians of Canada.

NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Complexity in primary care
(Your Name) has sent you a message from The College of Family Physicians of Canada
(Your Name) thought you would like to see the The College of Family Physicians of Canada web site.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Citation Tools
Complexity in primary care
Cindy L. Marshall
Canadian Family Physician Feb 2010, 56 (2) e84-e85;

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
Respond to this article
Share
Complexity in primary care
Cindy L. Marshall
Canadian Family Physician Feb 2010, 56 (2) e84-e85;
Twitter logo Facebook logo Mendeley logo
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

Jump to section

  • Article
  • eLetters
  • Info & Metrics
  • PDF

Related Articles

  • No related articles found.
  • Google Scholar

Cited By...

  • No citing articles found.
  • Google Scholar

More in this TOC Section

  • Inside chronic pain
  • The fifteen minute hour
  • Fast facts: breast cancer
Show more Book Reviews

Similar Articles

Navigate

  • Home
  • Current Issue
  • Archive
  • Collections - English
  • Collections - Française

For Authors

  • Authors and Reviewers
  • Submit a Manuscript
  • Permissions
  • Terms of Use

General Information

  • About CFP
  • About the CFPC
  • Advertisers
  • Careers & Locums
  • Editorial Advisory Board
  • Subscribers

Journal Services

  • Email Alerts
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
  • RSS Feeds

Copyright © 2025 by The College of Family Physicians of Canada

Powered by HighWire