Business combination commitment period to advance additional amount for capital additions.

No definition available.

Name:	mpw_BusinessCombinationCommitmentPeriodToAdvanceAdditionalAmountForCapitalAdditions
Namespace Prefix:	mpw_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Business Combination Commitment To Advance Additional Amount For Capital Additions

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	mpw_BusinessCombinationCommitmentToAdvanceAdditionalAmountForCapitalAdditions
Namespace Prefix:	mpw_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Lease agreement increase in consumer price index floor rate.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	mpw_LeaseAgreementIncreaseInConsumerPriceIndexFloorRate
Namespace Prefix:	mpw_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Lease period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	mpw_LeasePeriod
Namespace Prefix:	mpw_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Number of lease extension options.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	mpw_NumberOfLeaseExtensionOptions
Namespace Prefix:	mpw_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The capitalized costs incurred during the period (excluded from amortization) to purchase, lease or otherwise acquire an unproved property, including costs of lease bonuses and options to purchase or lease properties, the portion of costs applicable to minerals when land including mineral rights is purchased in fee, brokers' fees, recording fees, legal costs, and other costs incurred in acquiring properties.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 932
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-10(c)(7)(ii))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=50486907&loc=d3e511914-122862

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 932
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-10(c)(3)(ii)(A))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=50486907&loc=d3e511914-122862

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AcquisitionCosts
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

This element represents acquisition-related costs incurred to effect a business combination which costs have been expensed during the period. Such costs include finder's fees; advisory, legal, accounting, valuation, and other professional or consulting fees; general administrative costs, including the costs of maintaining an internal acquisitions department; and may include costs of registering and issuing debt and equity securities.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 10
-Section 25
-Paragraph 23
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=73531572&loc=d3e1043-128460

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessCombinationAcquisitionRelatedCosts
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The total amount of revenue recognized for the period from operating leases, including minimum lease revenue, contingent revenue, percentage revenue and sublease revenue.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 840
-SubTopic 20
-Section 25
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7501430&loc=d3e39896-112707

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesIncomeStatementLeaseRevenue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The historical cost of the asset(s) sold in connection with the sale of the property to another party and the lease of the property back to the seller.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 840
-SubTopic 40
-Section 55
-Paragraph 52
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28365400&loc=d3e51843-112757

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 840
-SubTopic 40
-Section 55
-Paragraph 50
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28365400&loc=d3e51831-112757

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 840
-SubTopic 40
-Section 55
-Paragraph 51
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28365400&loc=d3e51840-112757

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SaleLeasebackTransactionHistoricalCost
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis=mpw_MedianMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=mpw_AcuteCareHospitalMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis=stpr_NJ
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=mpw_BusinessAcquisitionsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RealEstatePropertiesAxis=mpw_TwoThousandSixteenMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Real Estate and Lending Activities - 2016 Activity - Additional Information (Detail) $ in Thousands, € in Millions		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	May 02, 2016 USD ($) RenewalOptions	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Jun. 22, 2016 EUR (€)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquisition related costs		$ 4,767	$ 25,809	$ 3,702	$ 32,048
Median [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Value of properties closed \| €						€ 41.6
Acute Care Hospital [Member] \| New Jersey [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Term of lease, years	15 years
Number of lease extension options \| RenewalOptions	3
Increase in consumer price-index, floor rate	2.00%
Commitment to advance an additional amount for capital additions	$ 30,000
Commitment period to advance an additional amount for capital additions	3 years
Acquisition costs	$ 63,000
Business Acquisitions [Member] \| 2016 [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Revenue contributed by the acquired entity		1,100		1,100
Acquisition related costs		$ 2,400		$ 2,400