Almost £12 of public money was spent for every voter who turned out at Fife’s Health Board elections.
Turnout at the ballot was just 13.9% or 39,761 people while the pilot elections and associated publicity cost £473,850.
Labour health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie asked the parliamentary questions that uncovered the figures.
She said no improvement had come as a result of the pilots undertaken in Fife and Dumfries and Galloway and branded Scottish Government plans to roll out the new system across the country a waste of money.
The Scottish Government said London School of Economics reported the costs associated with introducing elections to all Scottish Health Boards would be around £12 million.
Ms Baillie said: “The election trial was extremely disappointing with a poor voter turnout and no real improvement in accountability of health boards.
“Yet, despite this, the SNP wish to press ahead, wasting £12m on elections which few understand, and even fewer will participate in, rather than investing in frontline patient care.
“There is no evidence that the trials have led to better management, more efficient services, or better patient care.
“In a time when there are cuts to the health budget, it seems that the SNP have the wrong priorities in pushing this agenda.”
Mid-Scotland and Fife MSP Jayne Baxter was voted on to her local health board in the 2010 election, serving for a year before resigning to stand as a Labour list candidate.
She said the costs of running the elections could not be justified and there were “lessons to be learned” from the pilots.
“Locals health service delivery should and must be accountable to the people,” Ms Baxter said. “There is a risk that elections run on this basis give the look of accountability without the reality.”
Dr Charles Saunders, deputy chairman of the BMA in Scotland, said the Fife and Dumfries and Galloway pilots were “expensive” and it was “doubtful” if the average person saw any more transparency.
“At a time when clinical staff and health services are feeling the pressure of the financial cuts to the NHS, it is more important to invest in frontline services rather than elections which have a poor turnout and don’t deliver any significant difference to far cheaper alternatives,” he said.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “The Scottish Government will take this information into account as it considers the independent evaluation on health board elections and alternative pilots.”
NHS Fife chairman Professor Jim McGoldrick said: “NHS Fife was one of two boards which have piloted the direct election of members to the board.
“The Scottish Government will evaluate the success of these pilots and will decide on future strategy in this matter.”