Use of the SONET Score to Evaluate High Volume Emergency Department Overcrowding: A Prospective Derivation and Validation Study

Table 7

Comparison of the average length of stay in patients under different ED overcrowding statuses by the SONET and NEDOCS in the validation study.

ED crowding status estimation	Average LOS of ED patients at BUMC ( = 6,307)
	NEDOCS score; Min (SD) ()	SONET score; Min (SD) ()	value
Not overcrowded	264 (179), (5,249)	264 (178), (5,560)	1.000
Overcrowded	278 (187), (700, 0.142)	278 (205), (447, 0.324)	1.000
Severely overcrowded	250 (200), (88, 0.509)	292 (178), (30, 1.000)	0.3098

BUMC: Baylor University Medical Center; LOS: length of stay at ED; : the number of patients; SD: standard deviation; value: value of the comparison of average LOS between NEDOCS and SONET scores. value of the comparison between two groups of patients under the different ED crowding conditions estimated by the same scoring system (not overcrowded versus overcrowded). value of the comparison between two groups of patients under the different ED crowding conditions estimated by the same scoring system (overcrowded versus severely overcrowded).