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Abstract Objective:To determine whether routine electronic records are an accurate source of population health data in general practice through reviewing cervical smears rates in four South Australian practices. Methods:The cervical screening rate in a purposive sample of four general practices (three rural and one urban) was obtained using an audit of medical records and a telephone follow‐up. Results:The cervical screening rate using only immediately available electronic medical records indicated an overall low rate for the participating practices (44.9%). However, telephone follow‐up and adjustments to the denominator indicated the real rate to be 85.7%. The offer of appointments during the telephone follow‐up further improved this rate for eligible women (93.8%). Conclusions and implications:Electronic medical records may be inadequate in preventive screening in general practice, without ensuring their accuracy. Updating records by telephone or personal follow‐up produces a much more accurate denominator.