Introduction. Health education is the process consisting in the development of acquired skills in order to maintain and improve own health and health of other people. Education is an inherent, complementary element of health promotion. Its role is awareness-raising and development of individuals’ attitude towards health. In the primary health care (POZ) it plays a significant role. Education provided at an adequate level both affects limiting of expenditure in health care and fosters the improvement in health of the society. Aim. The aim of the study is to acquire the opinion concerning knowledge, demand for services in the scope of health education as well as defining a group of individuals particularly interested in benefiting from measures in the scope of health education. Material and methods. The questionnaire survey was conducted in the area of Poznań city in selected healthcare establishments. The scope of the survey covered 100 respondents selected on a random basis among individuals waiting for an appointment with a POZ physician. Questions referred to patients’ knowledge concerning a health educator in medical facilities. Results and conclusions. Based on the survey performed it has been found that patients are not aware who is a health educator and they also do not have knowledge in the scope of his/her activity since as many as (56%) responded negatively to the question asked. Over a half of respondents (52%) also believes that a physician does not devote sufficient time to them. Despite the lack of the necessary information concerning a health educator’s job, a considerable percentage of patients are ready to use the knowledge of the aforementioned professional if a possibility to benefit from a free-of-charge appointment is provided.

Key words: health education, health promotion, primary health care.