Electronic health records (EHRs) have many potential applications in the care of older persons. These include applications for decision support such as medication alerts, embedded screening algorithms and other decision support tools. EHRs can facilitate care coordination through electronic sharing of patient assessment and referral information. Online patient portals and other technologies have been used to aid patient access to their electronic health information. Information in EHRs can be used for quality improvement or for research, such as in identifying risk factors for adverse outcomes. The benefits of EHRs for older adults have not been fully realized due to slow and uneven adoption, lack of interoperability, and inadequate consideration of older adults’ needs and preferences in their design.