The purpose of this handbook is to provide guidance to data management staff within health planning agencies concerning the assemblage, analysis, and application of data for the purposes of health planning and resources development. Detailed information concerning practical, step-by-step approaches to data acquisition, analysis, and use is included. Nine chapters cover the following topics: (1) the need for data in health planning --the problem, legislative requirements, health planning agency functions, the basis for data collection, and definition of information types; (2) methodological issues related to data collection and analysis; (3) a study of the need for population, socioeconomic, and health status data; (4) the sources and uses of population and socioeconomic data; (5) the sources and uses of health status data; (6) the need for health resources data -- hospital data, physician data, and institutional health manpower data; (7) the sources and uses of hospital data; (8) the sources and uses of physician data; (9) a study of the demand for health manpower in hospitals and nursing homes. (JD)