81 patients requiring surgery who were admitted to the orthopaedic trauma service at a single high-volume Level I trauma center were randomized to an intervention group or to a control group. The intervention group received a biosketch card about their surgeon, whereas the control group received nothing. At follow up, a greater proportion of patients in the intervention group reported that they had received excellent care compared to the control group. There was no association between satisfaction and gender, lack of insurance, length of stay or attending surgeon. Results therefore demonstrate that simply providing patients with surgeon information can significantly increase satisfaction with orthopaedic care.