Methods: we recruited 53 randomly selected elderly patients with COPD (36 males) with a mean age of 73.5 years (range 65–89 years). The evaluation consisted of (i) information obtained from directed questions and (ii) objective measurements of the ability to generate adequate PIF for a variety of inhalers. Patients answered questions regarding ease of use, perceived benefitfromandspecificproblemsencounteredwiththeirinhaler.ThreerecordingsofPIFweremeasuredatvaryinginhaled resistancesusing the ‘In-CheckDial’