[Delivering bad news in a Swiss internal medicine ward: a medical and nurse partnership].

Delivering bad news to a patient has a major impact for patients, their relatives and caregivers. The way this information is delivered can affect the way the patient sees his disease and potentially how he adheres to its treatment. To improve this communication with the patient the service of internal medicine at the Swiss university hospital of Lausanne set up a process including the coordination between all involved caregivers, and to break the bad news in a setting including a medical and nurse partnership. It also underscores that the resident in charge of the patient remains the coordinator of delivering new information. Moreover, the service provides communication tools to the caregivers to improve the communication skills.