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

No definition available.

Name:	mpw_BusinessCombinationCommitmentPeriodToAdvanceAdditionalAmountForCapitalAdditions
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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

Business combination equity interest in acquiree fair value.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Business combination loans paid down on acquisition loans.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Combined purchase price and investment amount.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	mpw_CombinedPurchasePriceAndInvestmentAmount
Namespace Prefix:	mpw_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- 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 facilities for which mortgage financing was provided.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	mpw_NumberOfFacilitiesForWhichMortgageFinancingWasProvided
Namespace Prefix:	mpw_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number of hospitals closed.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	mpw_NumberOfHospitalsClosed
Namespace Prefix:	mpw_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
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

Number of licensed hospitals.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Operating leases, income statement, lease income.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	mpw_OperatingLeasesIncomeStatementLeaseIncome
Namespace Prefix:	mpw_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
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

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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

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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

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

- Definition

The cash outflow associated with the acquisition of business during the period. The cash portion only of the acquisition price.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Investing Activities
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6516133

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 13
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66902209&loc=d3e3213-108585

+ Details

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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

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-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 840
-SubTopic 40
-Section 55
-Paragraph 50
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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

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

- Details

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- Details

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- Details

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- Details

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Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

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- Details

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- Details

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- Details

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Real Estate and Lending Activities - 2016 Activity - Additional Information (Detail) € in Thousands, $ in Thousands				3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Oct. 03, 2016 USD ($) Facility RenewalOptions Hospital	Jun. 22, 2016 EUR (€)	May 02, 2016 USD ($) RenewalOptions	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Loans repaid				$ 93,262	$ 385,851	$ 93,262	$ 385,851
Acquisition related costs				2,677	24,949	6,379	56,997
Median [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Loans repaid					$ 385,851		$ 385,851
2016 [Member] \| Median [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Value of properties closed \| €		€ 41,600
2016 [Member] \| Steward [Member] \| Subsequent Event [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Loans repaid	$ 600,000
Cash paid for acquisition transaction	$ 600,000
Term of lease, years	15 years
Number of lease extension options \| RenewalOptions	3
Number of hospitals closed \| Hospital	9
Combined purchase price and investment amount	$ 1,250,000
Number of licensed hospitals \| Hospital	5
Equity interest acquired	$ 50,000
Number of facilities for making mortgage loans \| Facility	4
Acute Care Hospital [Member] \| 2016 [Member] \| New Jersey [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Term of lease, years			15 years
Number of lease extension options \| RenewalOptions			3
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				4,600		5,700
Acquisition related costs						2,400
Income contributed by the acquired entity				3,800		4,900
Capella [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Loans repaid				$ 93,262		$ 93,262
Capella [Member] \| 2016 [Member] \| Olympia, Washington [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Loans repaid \| €		93,262
Cash paid for acquisition transaction \| €		€ 7,000