Recognizing the need for patient safety; mRNA and cancer vaccines; when a patient becomes an inspiration – Morning Medical Update

Making patient safety a priority

World Patient Safety Day is Sept. 17, capping the three-day WPSD 2024 DC Summit in Washington, D.C. Information about the summit is here, and details for an online presentation on Sept. 17 are here. Hospital safety watchdog organization The Leapfrog Group has this report on best practices for hospitals, along with more information about patient safety while in medical settings.

Cancer vaccine in development?

During the COVID-19 pandemic, mRNA became a household term when the United States and other nations scrambled to vaccinate millions of people. Could the same genetic technology lead to a new cancer vaccine? Pharmaceutical giant Moderna thinks so – and test results show “an mRNA cancer immunotherapy is an important first step in hopefully developing a new treatment for patients with advanced cancers,” one researcher said in this news report.

Finding what works for each patient

As science advances understanding about the complications of human metabolism, antiobesity medications have become pharmaceutical blockbusters. But they’re not for everybody, and some patients need other methods to treat conditions such as Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. Here’s a report on a Utah man whose weight reached more than 500 pounds, and who has gained more control over his health by losing 150 pounds with a combination of diet and exercise.