I have been hospitalized twice in the past two weekends within the UNC system for severe pain management, and my experiences with Dr. Aden were among the most distressing healthcare encounters I have ever had. I live with chronic pain and inflammatory arthritis. Over the years I have undergone countless procedures, injections, surgeries, therapies, and medication trials in an effort to improve my quality of life. I do everything possible to avoid the emergency department, and I only seek hospital care when my pain becomes completely unmanageable. From the moment Dr. Aden entered my room during my admission at UNC Hillsborough, I felt dismissed rather than cared for. Before taking the time to understand my history or examine me, I felt that my pain was being questioned. He seemed annoyed I was there asking for help, and he was there doing his job. During our encounters he left me feeling humiliated, discredited, and ashamed at one of the most vulnerable moments of my life. I sought out UNC for its well known top-quality care, and received the absolute opposite of that from this “doctor”. I was discharged after undergoing no imaging or new medication, but my condition worsened significantly, requiring another hospital admission the following weekend—this time at UNC Chapel Hill. The morning after admission, my nurse informed me that my pain medication orders had been substantially reduced from what had been ordered previously. She expressed surprise at the change and asked the physician to speak with me. To my surprise, Dr. Aden entered the room again, despite my being at a different hospital within the UNC system. He had reduced the previous physician’s pain management plan significantly, leaving me on less pain medication than I take at home, despite being hospitalized because my home regimen was no longer controlling my pain. I explained that my goal was not simply to receive pain medication but to determine why my pain had escalated so dramatically, including discussing whether additional imaging such as an MRI was appropriate. I felt my concerns were repeatedly dismissed, and my requests for further evaluation were denied without any meaningful discussion. As the conversation became increasingly emotional, I became frightened by the interaction and asked Dr. Aden multiple times to leave my room because I was scared. He declined each time, stating that he did not have to leave. As a female patient, crying, and repeatedly asking a physician to step out of my room, I found that experience deeply unsettling. I felt powerless, intimidated, and unsafe during what was already one of the most vulnerable moments of my hospitalization. I have 4 videos of this interaction, where he is heard becoming loud and talking over me, while failing to address any of my questions. UNC should be utterly ashamed of this “doctor” and deep dive their SOP’s. In the mealtime I’ll be seeking legal counsel and media outreach. If quality care and being treated like a human is important to you, avoid Dr Adem and UNC chapel hill at all cost. What an absolute shame.
