Jasmine and Tom will present their talk “Through the Lens of the Hospital Discharge Report: A Novel Approach to the History of Medicine?” at the SGGMN/SSHMS annual meeting on November 20th, 2026 at the University of Bern.

The discharge report has evolved from informal doctor-to-doctor letters into a standardized document central to hospital organisation, cost justification, and patient communication. Drawing on archives from the Diakonissen-/Gemeindespital Basel/Riehen (1928–1950) and CHUV Lausanne (1950–2000), the talk examines the actors, stakes, and linguistic-epistemic dimensions of these reports.

Tom will analyse early discharge reporting in Basel, focusing on knowledge circulation between patient files, reports, and referring physicians. Jasmine will explore the emergence of neonatology in Lausanne through specialised terminology and changing doctor–patient–insurer relationships. Comparing sources from different hospitals, cantons, and linguistic regions, the talk highlights both local variations and broader similarities in Swiss discharge reporting practices.