OBJECTIVES : To examine how Americans’ opinions of the relative seriousness of various health problems have changed over time and to quantify the public’s preferences for research prioritization.

METHODS : We conducted a survey that asked respondents to rate the seriousness of 80 health problems on a four-point Likert scale (“very serious problem,” “somewhat serious problem,” “not too serious of a problem,” or “not a problem at all”). Results were compared to past surveys from 2001 and 2013 that examined the same set of health problems (with the exception of COVID-19). The survey also included 15 MaxDiff questions that asked respondents to select the health problems they considered most and least important for research funding. Respondents were recruited from the KnowledgePanel, a nationally-representative sample of American households.

RESULTS : A total of 768 adults competed the survey between September 3 and 14, 2020. The health problems that Americans consider to be very serious generally align with the leading causes of death and noncommunicable diseases like heart disease (rated “very serious” by 55.3% of sample), diabetes (45.0%), and mental health (e.g., mental illness - 53.6%; depression - 50.7%); however, several social determinants of health (e.g., violence - 62.6%; racial discrimination - 52.9%) are also identified. COVID-19 was a perhaps unsurprising top priority (ranked 3rd at 62.4%), while cancer remains the highest (ranked first at 65.5%) and a persistent priority for research funding.

CONCLUSIONS : Americans consider a diverse set of health problems to be very serious, with recognition of social determinants of health rising. Our findings offer guidance as to the disease areas in which innovations would bring the greatest value to patients and society and also offers affirmations of the relief brought by recent innovations.