The Patient Active Concept:

"Combining the will of the patient with the skill of the physician - A powerful combination."

Harold H. Benjamin, Ph.D
Founder of The Wellness Community

In June 1982, Harold Benjamin, Ph.D, founded The Wellness Community (TWC) in Santa Monica, California. At the center of TWC's program philosophy was Dr. Benjamin's Patient Active© Concept. The Patient Active Concept defines a series of actions, behaviors and attitudes that people with cancer—and their loved ones—can utilize to not only improve quality of life but also enhance the possibility of recovery.

What is being Patient Active?

First and foremost, being Patient Active is about feeling and acting empowered. It is your active participation in the choices you and your healthcare team make about treatment. Choosing to be Patient Active is not about one monumental decision, but rather a series of small, incremental choices that help you regain a sense of control over your treatment and your life in general.

There is no right or wrong way to be Patient Active. You decide what is best for you. Being Patient Active means that you can take specific steps to be empowered to make informed decisions about lung cancer and its treatment, the management of side effects, and your general health and well-being, including relationships with others and coping with stress that lung cancer brings into your life.

Recent research has shown that there are three psychological and emotional stressors that many people with cancer face in their battle against cancer—unwanted aloneness, loss of control and loss of hope. Therefore, one important way to reduce the stress—especially the loss of control-associated with the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer, is to participate—along with loved ones and other people with cancer, in educational workshops like Frankly Speaking About Lung Cancer.

In this program, you will have the opportunity to learn the latest medical information, practice behaviors, and discuss attitudes proven to be helpful to people with lung cancer in order to take charge of the disease, its treatment and your life in general. Being Patient Active means that you decide what works best for you!