INSIGHTS AND PERSPECTIVES

LONDON — The global market for celiac disease is expected to grow substantially over the decade as more people are diagnosed with the condition, according to a new report.

The report, by British market research firm GlobalData, found that the global celiac disease therapeutics market would be worth more than $512 million by 2017 and $664.4 million by 2019.

BALTIMORE — Though an estimated 26.7 million Americans ages 50 years and older have hearing loss, only about 1-in-7 of them uses a hearing aid, according to a new study led by Johns Hopkins researchers that was released Monday.

Johns Hopkins experts estimate nearly 23 million have untreated hearing loss and suggest that their findings add clarity to less rigorous estimates by device manufacturers and demonstrates how widespread undertreatment of hearing loss is in the United States.

PHOENIX — Managed care and prescription plans are working to switch patients to generic versions of Pfizer's Lipitor despite the drug maker's efforts to reduce costs for the branded version, a new study suggested.

According to a report released Wednesday by Wolters Kluwer Pharma Solutions' inThought research group, while Lipitor (atorvastatin) has 41% of the market share of all dispensed prescriptions of atorvastatin, it has 35% of the payer approval volume.

WABAN, MASS. — Research results released Tuesday by Temkin Group, which rates the customer experience of 206 large companies across 18 industries, showed that only eight companies deliver excellent customer experience.

Sam's Club and Publix led the pack, followed by Starbucks, Subway, Chick-fil-A, Aldi, Winn-Dixie, H-E-B and credit unions.

According to the 2012 Temkin Experience Ratings, in its second year, 76 companies (37% of the total) earned "poor" or "very poor" ratings.

WASHINGTON — Retailers are set to build customer engagement by investing in information technology and e-commerce, as well as enhancing customer service initiatives and building on mobile platforms, a new report from the National Retail Federation and KPMG found.

SHELTON, Conn. — Organic food sales are continuing on an upward trend as more shoppers frequented mainstream stores for the products and younger consumers were the most loyal to purchasing such items, a TABS Group survey found.

ATLANTA — People that are genetically predisposed to developing a condition that causes high blood cholesterol levels may be at an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, according to a new study.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT —Sam's Club has made a major commitment to health and wellness, and is hosting screening events every month of the year. January was New Year, New You. This month it's heart health. Next month it's allergy screenings. In June it's men's health, which includes some pretty expensive PSA tests. Why? Sam's wants its members to know it's serious about health and wellness, and knows that these events are a good way to convert members into patients.