OBJECTIVES: Organ transplantation became a new hope for those living with end-stage organ disease. The number of patients needing transplants greatly exceeds the number of available donors and continues to rise. Without an increase in the number of donors, many patients will not live to reach an organ transplant. This research seeks to review the literature for barriers and supporting factors that lead patients to becoming organ donors. METHODS: The PubMed database was reviewed using the mesh terms “organ donation” and “barriers.” Studies included were required to: 1) Pertain to solid organ transplantation, 2) Examine a factor that shows a resistance to organ donation 3) Provide patient-reported outcomes. Results were reviewed and summarized into a comprehensive model. A secondary reviewer aided in approving the validity of the findings. Barriers included were significant at the p <0.05 level as reported by the respective authors. RESULTS: : The mesh terms generated 295 results. Out of these, 67 studies were found to meet all inclusion criteria and examined in full. Some of the most encountered barriers include distrust of the healthcare system, lack of communication between family members, racial/ethnic barriers, lack of knowledge, and preconceived beliefs experienced from the media. Preexisting knowledge about organ donation and religious beliefs, in addition to who speaks to the patient regarding donation can both improve the likelihood of donation and create a barrier.  CONCLUSIONS: There are significant barriers to organ donation. Each barrier can be placed into one of four distinct categories (communication, preconceived notions of healthcare system, cultural beliefs, and financial/ethical considerations). Potential cues to action for someone to consider being an organ donor and communicating one’s end of life wishes need to be further examined. Summarizing these findings will assist for future research in developing methods for exploring cues to action for organ donation.