| Study | Reason for exclusion |
|---|---|
| Alexopoulos 2016 | Wrong study design (aimed at depressive symptoms). |
| Anonymous 2007 | Wrong study design. |
| Berbecaru‐Iovan 2015 | Wrong intervention (not aimed at adherence). |
| Bock 2012 | Wrong intervention (not aimed at adherence). |
| Boland 2016 | Wrong intervention (not aimed at adherence). |
| Botvinikova 2003 | Wrong population (asthma). |
| Buist 1997 | Wrong intervention (smoking cessation). |
| Bunnag 2007 | Wrong intervention (patient perception). |
| Cabedo Garcia 2010 | Wrong intervention (not aimed at adherence). |
| Chrystyn 2014 | Wrong intervention (patient preference and satisfaction). |
| Collier 2017 | Wrong study design (adherence reported as a post hoc outcome). |
| Dahl 2003 | Wrong intervention (aimed at patient perception). |
| EUCTR2013‐001788‐21‐SK | Wrong study design. |
| Evans 2019 | Wrong intervention (aimed at re‐admissions to hospital). |
| Fischer 2000 | Wrong study design (not an RCT). |
| Gallefoss 1999 | Wrong population (< 50% of the study population was COPD). |
| Garcia‐Aymerich 2007 | Wrong study design (not aimed at adherence). |
| Hernandez 2001 | Wrong study design (not an RCT). |
| Holzer 1988 | Wrong study design (not an RCT). |
| Kirby 2016 | Wrong intervention (not aimed at adherence). |
| Kripalani 2007 | Wrong study design (systematic review; no individual studies included COPD). |
| Mutterlein 1990 | Wrong study design (no relevance to current management). |
| NCT00005717 | Wrong study design (not an RCT). |
| NCT00462540 | Wrong study design (not aimed at adherence). |
| NCT04052906 | Wrong study design (not aimed at inhaler technique or adherence). |
| Nishimura 2011 | Wrong study design (not an RCT). |
| Pongchaidecha 2005 | Wrong study design (not an RCT). |
| Press 2016 | Wrong study design (not aimed at inhaler improvement). |
| Riar 2016 | Wrong study design (not an RCT). |
| Schulte 2008 | Wrong study design (not an RCT). |
| Smith‐McLallen 2015 | Wrong study design (cost‐effectiveness, mixed population). |
| Sung 1998 | Unavailable. |
| Tack 2011 | Wrong study design (not an RCT). |
| Tashkin 1991 | Wrong intervention (main intervention was a smoking cessation programme). |
| Trivedi 2012 | Wrong study design (not an RCT). |
| Van Ganse 2016 | Wrong study design (not an RCT). |
| Van Grunsven 2000 | Wrong population. |
| Vanhaecht 2010 | Wrong intervention (not aimed at adherence). |
| Van Wijk 2005 | Wrong study design (systematic review; no individual studies include COPD‐only population). |
| Vestbo 2009 | Wrong intervention (not aimed at adherence). |
| Viejo 2001 | Wrong study design (not an RCT). |
| Weinstein 2011 | Wrong study design (not an RCT). |
| Yildirim 2015 | Wrong study design (not an RCT). |
COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; RCT: randomised controlled trial.