ROI Comparison: New vs. Existing Patient

Comparing the ROI of acquiring a new optometry patient vs. recalling an existing patient reveals a clear winner in most cases: recalling existing patients tends to generate significantly higher ROI.

Let’s break it down using realistic assumptions from optometry practices in the U.S.

Metric	New Patient	Existing Patient Recall
Acquisition Cost	$50–$250 per patient	$1–$10 per patient
First-Year Revenue	$200–$400	$150–$350
Retention Rate (Year 2)	~25–50%	~60–90%
Conversion Time	2–4 weeks avg	1–3 days avg
Common Channels	Ads (Google, Facebook), SEO	Email, SMS, postcard, phone call
ROI Estimate	~1.5x–3x	~6x–12x

Let's Look at Each Side

Recalling Existing Patients

Example ROI:

• Cost: $2 (automated SMS reminder)

• Revenue: $250 (exam + glasses)

• ROI: $250 / $2 = 125× ROI (though this is gross)

Why it's effective:

• The patient already knows and trusts you.

• No need to "sell" your brand.

• You likely already have insurance/pre-approvals and contact details.

• Recall strategies (annual exam, product renewal, unused benefits) are cheap and fast.

Acquiring New Patients

Example ROI:

• Cost: $150 (Google Ads for “eye exam near me”)

• Revenue: $300 (one-time exam + basic lenses)

• ROI: $300 / $150 = 2× ROI

Challenges:

• High competition and CPC for optometry keywords.

• Lower show-up rate.

• Many are price-shoppers, not long-term loyal customers.

Strategic Insight:

You need both — but recall drives better unit economics.

Best Practice:

• 80/20 strategy: Spend 80% of your effort/budget retaining & reactivating existing patients, 20% acquiring new ones.

• Use automation tools like Careline AI to send:

  • Annual exam reminders

  • “You’re due!” messages

  • End-of-year insurance benefit prompts

  • Eyeglasses/contact lens refill alerts

Example ROI Model (1,000 patients):

Scenario	Cost	Conversion	Revenue/patient	Total Revenue	ROI
Recall 300 patients	$600	30%	$250	$22,500	37.5x
Acquire 300 new	$15,000	30%	$300	$27,000	1.8x

• Recalled patients give 3–10x higher ROI than newly acquired patients.

• Use acquisition to grow, but use recall to sustain profit.

• Automate and personalize recalls for maximum return.