Patient acquisition cost is the total marketing and sales expense required to acquire one new patient, calculated as total acquisition spending divided by new patients acquired in a period.

Telehealth economics often feature higher patient acquisition costs than traditional practices because digital marketing is expensive and patients have more options. Offset this with higher lifetime value through geographic reach (patients who couldn't access your specialty locally) and retention strategies that keep patients in your ecosystem.

Calculate this by channel to understand which acquisition sources deliver efficiently. Paid search might cost $150 per patient while referral programs cost $30. This intelligence should drive budget allocation, but also consider patient quality—a $150 patient who completes a care plan is worth more than a $30 patient who churns after one visit.

For telehealth startups and growth-stage companies, patient acquisition cost relative to lifetime value determines unit economics viability. If you're spending more to acquire patients than they'll ever generate in margin, you don't have a business, you have a burning pile of cash.

Related terms: Virtual visit no-show rate, Care plan adherence rate, Patient satisfaction score