What is a marketing qualified lead (MQL)?
A marketing qualified lead (MQL) is an enquiry that meets agreed criteria showing genuine interest in a service the hospital offers, such as the right specialty, a reachable contact and a location within the catchment. For hospitals it separates real patient enquiries from spam, job seekers, vendors and wrong-number calls before leads reach the contact centre.
Why it matters for hospitals
Raw lead counts are inflated by junk, which makes campaigns look better than they are. A shared MQL definition aligns marketing, agencies and the contact centre on what counts. It also makes CPL comparisons across channels fair.
How to put it into practice
- Write down MQL criteria with the contact centre: service match, contactable, not a duplicate, within serviceable geography.
- Tag every lead as MQL or not in the CRM, with a reason for rejection.
- Report cost per MQL alongside cost per lead.
- Share rejection reasons with agencies weekly so targeting improves.
- Review the definition every quarter as services and campaigns change.
The common mistake
Letting the agency define what qualifies, which tends to produce a definition that flatters the agency’s numbers.
An illustrative example
A hospital found nearly a third of its form leads were job applications and vendor pitches. Defining MQLs and adding a careers link on landing pages cleaned up reporting and showed the true cost per enquiry. (Composite example, not a specific hospital.)
Related terms
Further reading
Part of the healthcare growth and digital glossary. Last reviewed 7 October 2026.