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Our Lady of the Lake has made it easier than ever for anyone in the Baton Rouge area seeking medical care to connect with one of our providers via live video.
Our Lady of the Lake Physician Group first introduced video visits in 2018 for established patients. Using the MyChart app, patients get to see their own Our Lady of the Lake provider from the comfort of their own home.
In response to the COVID-19 crisis, the Physician Group is making video visits available to first-time patients as well. Whether it’s getting established with a primary care provider, monitoring chronic conditions like high blood pressure, or initial evaluation for COVID-19 symptoms, video visits are quickly gaining popularity.
“They are a quick and easy way to connect with one of our board-certified providers from the comfort of your own home,” says Dr. Lauren Barfield, medical director for adult primary care for Our Lady of the Lake Physician Group.
Video visits are especially effective for elderly patients and those with compromised immune systems who are at greater risk for severe complications from COVID-19.
Dr. Barfield says the number of video visits continues to rise both for routine medical care as well as patients seeking evaluation for COVID-19 symptoms. Providers are able to evaluate these patients remotely to determine if they should seek further care, or to get tested for the virus at one of Our Lady of the Lake’s two testing sites.
“This has been an important way for us to stay in touch with patients, especially the elderly and immunocompromised,” Dr. Barfield says. Video visits also reduce the risk of medical staff exposure to potential infection.
Since their introduction in 2018, video visits have proven an effective and popular option, especially for pediatric patients with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, cardiac patients with atrial fibrillation, as well as by primary care physicians monitoring patients with chronic conditions such as high blood pressure.
The process for setting up a video visit is easy. Simply click HERE to learn how to schedule a video visit. You’ll receive easy-to-follow instructions when it’s time for your video visit to begin.
“Video visits aren’t meant to replace face-to-face care,” Dr. Barfield says, “and in-person appointments are still the most ideal way for us to provide care. But they are extremely valuable during this time of social distancing in particular.”
