Oregon Public Broadcasting

The state released its annual study on local hospitals Thursday. As Kristian Foden-Vencil reports, paying more for an operation doesn’t always mean you’ll get better care.

The report ranks hospitals on their treatment of about a dozen common ailments -- like heart attacks, hip fractures and strokes. It compares the cost of operations at each hospital and the quality of care for 2007.

Jeanene Smith, of the Oregon Health Policy and Research Department, says the report shows consumers which hospitals offer the best value.

Jeanene Smith: “Most of the hospitals sort of have average quality and then there are some that are really showing some high quality.”

Oregon Health and Science University was one that received special recognition for its work on strokes.

The report is not exactly easy for consumers to wade through. But over the four years it’s been published, it’s become a ‘must read’ for hospital administrators, insurance companies and anyone who’s sick.