Real Estate and Lending Activities - Summary of Operations for Disposed Assets (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Income Statement Disclosures [Abstract]
Revenues	$ 3,092	$ 4,525	$ 7,607	$ 9,075
Real estate depreciation and amortization	(805)	(949)	(1,754)	(1,897)
Property-related expenses	(72)	(12)	(113)	(72)
Other income (expense)	(9)	228	(68)	557
Income from real estate dispositions, net	$ 2,206	$ 3,792	$ 5,672	$ 7,663

Disposal group including discontinued operation other income expense.

No definition available.

Name:	mpw_DisposalGroupIncludingDiscontinuedOperationOtherIncomeExpense
Namespace Prefix:	mpw_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Disposal group including discontinued operation property related expense.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	mpw_DisposalGroupIncludingDiscontinuedOperationPropertyRelatedExpense
Namespace Prefix:	mpw_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of depreciation and amortization expense attributable to disposal group, including, but not limited to, discontinued operation.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 205
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5B
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64827811&loc=SL51721673-107760

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of gross profit attributable to disposal group, including, but not limited to, discontinued operation.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of revenue attributable to disposal group, including, but not limited to, discontinued operation.

+ References

+ Details

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

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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