Abstract

From the beginning of their education and training, health care professionals are introduced to the principles of patient-centered care. Across health care systems internationally, professional codes of practice emphasize that the primary obligation is to prioritize the interests of patients,1,2 reflecting the moral ethos of the profession. It shapes not only what clinicians do but also their identity as moral agents.

However, the emphasis on prioritizing patients has had an unintended consequence: the systematic marginalization of health care professionals’ own well-being. Although patient-centered care remains morally foundational, its near-exclusive focus risks obscuring a parallel ethical responsibility; namely, the duty to maintain the conditions that enable safe, compassionate, and sustainable practice. This duty demands recognition of a moral obligation at the level of health care systems, not merely a matter of personal preservation or resilience on behalf of the physician.