In order to have a successful system, all levels of services need to be on the same page when it comes to patient care. This would require that all levels of services develop a common goal like providing the best care to all people in that health system. In reality, different services have their own goals. Primary care services might look to see as many patients in a day as possible, and specialty care might look to see less patients but patients with more serious health problems.
I think that every level of service that comes in contact with a patient should take a couple of minutes to get to know the basic lifestyle of the individual. It should not be left to the primary care physician; it should also be the job of specialty doctors. Patients need to have a close relationship with their doctors, otherwise they will not be able to disclose important information that can be necessary to make an accurate diagnosis. At the same time, primary care physicians have to deal with the bulk of the problem, which is to get all the information out of the patient and get to real issue.
I agree with other systems that put more emphasis on primary care doctors because they are the ones that have to decide whether the individuals needs a referral, treatment, or to "wait out" the problem. At the same time, primary care physicians should not become an obstacle when an individual wants to or requires to see a specialty doctor this is why developing a similar goal is such an important step to forming a successful health system.