Hello Kayla, great discussion board post, you brought up some thoughts which I had not fully

considered. Nancy in this situation really should be given easier access to her father’s records. This is
especially true since she is her father’s representative as his durable power of attorney. As the power of
attorney for her father Nancy should know what medications he is on and should be given a run-down of
the medications and their side-effects prior to them being given. This is so if the medications have
adverse side effects without many benefits Nancy could decline the meds for her father’s wellbeing. Since
Nancy was not being given this information it makes me think that the staff were guilty of giving
medicines that restricted her father’s movement. I had not thought about how portals could be beneficial
in this way since they provide a simplified presentation of the information regarding the patient and their
medications, and medical issues. However, I do think that for some people even if it is spelled out in
simple terms that they could still struggle to understand the information. This could occur because of
either a lack of healthcare knowledge, or a lack of technological skills. The ability to opt-out of patient
portals in lieu of information provided directly by the physician only should be offered. Great discussion
board posting!