Consolidated Statements of Equity / Capital - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	Total	Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	Distributions in Excess of Net Income [Member]	Treasury Stock [Member]	Common Par Value [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss [Member]	Non- Controlling Interests [Member]	MPT Operating Partnership, L.P. [Member]	MPT Operating Partnership, L.P. [Member] Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss [Member]	MPT Operating Partnership, L.P. [Member] Non- Controlling Interests [Member]	MPT Operating Partnership, L.P. [Member] General Partner [Member]	MPT Operating Partnership, L.P. [Member] Limited Partner [Member] Common Par Value [Member]	MPT Operating Partnership, L.P. [Member] Limited Partner [Member] Long Term Incentive Plan [Member]
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2013	$ 1,344,208	$ 1,618,054	$ (264,804)	$ (262)	$ 161	$ (8,941)		$ 1,344,598	$ (8,941)		$ 13,541	$ 1,339,998
Beginning balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2013					161,310						1,608	159,702	292
Net income	50,796		50,522				$ 274	50,796		$ 274	$ 508	$ 49,769	$ 245
Unrealized gain on interest rate swap	2,964					2,964		2,964	2,964
Foreign currency translation gain (loss)	(15,937)					(15,937)		(15,937)	(15,937)
Stock (Unit) vesting and amortization of stock (unit)-based compensation	9,165	9,165						9,165			$ 92	$ 9,073
Stock (Unit) vesting and amortization of stock (unit)-based compensation (shares)					777						8	769
Distributions to non-controlling interests	(274)						(274)	(274)		(274)
Proceeds from offering (net of offering costs)	138,173	138,162			$ 11			138,173			$ 1,382	$ 136,791
Proceeds from offering (net of offering costs) (shares)					10,656						106	10,550
Dividends (Distributions) declared ($0.84 in 2014, 0.88 in 2015 and 0.91 in 2016 per common share/ unit)	(147,048)		(147,048)					(147,048)			$ (1,468)	$ (145,335)	$ (245)
Ending balance at Dec. 31, 2014	1,382,047	1,765,381	(361,330)	(262)	$ 172	(21,914)		1,382,437	(21,914)		$ 14,055	$ 1,390,296
Ending balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2014					172,743						1,722	171,021	292
Net income	139,927		139,598				329	139,927		329	$ 1,399	$ 138,199
Sale of non-controlling interests	5,000						5,000
Sale of non-controlling interests								5,000		5,000
Unrealized gain on interest rate swap	3,139					3,139		3,139	3,139
Foreign currency translation gain (loss)	(54,109)					(54,109)		(54,109)	(54,109)
Stock (Unit) vesting and amortization of stock (unit)-based compensation	11,122	11,120			$ 2			11,122			$ 111	$ 11,011
Stock (Unit) vesting and amortization of stock (unit)-based compensation (shares)					751						8	743
Distributions to non-controlling interests	(332)						(332)	(332)		(332)
Proceeds from offering (net of offering costs)	817,389	817,326			$ 63			817,389			$ 8,175	$ 809,214
Proceeds from offering (net of offering costs) (shares)					63,250						633	62,617
Dividends (Distributions) declared ($0.84 in 2014, 0.88 in 2015 and 0.91 in 2016 per common share/ unit)	(196,918)		(196,918)					(196,918)			$ (1,967)	$ (194,951)
Ending balance at Dec. 31, 2015	2,107,265	2,593,827	(418,650)	(262)	$ 237	(72,884)	4,997	2,107,655	(72,884)	4,997	$ 21,773	$ 2,153,769
Ending balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2015					236,744						2,363	234,381	292
Net income	225,937		225,048				889	225,937		889	$ 2,251	$ 222,797
Unrealized gain on interest rate swap	2,904					2,904		2,904	2,904
Foreign currency translation gain (loss)	(22,923)					(22,923)		(22,923)	(22,923)
Stock (Unit) vesting and amortization of stock (unit)-based compensation	7,942	7,941			$ 1			7,942			$ 80	$ 7,862
Stock (Unit) vesting and amortization of stock (unit)-based compensation (shares)					1,021						10	1,011
Distributions to non-controlling interests	(1,036)						(1,036)	(1,036)		(1,036)
Proceeds from offering (net of offering costs)	1,173,651	1,173,568			$ 83			1,173,651			$ 11,737	$ 1,161,914
Proceeds from offering (net of offering costs) (shares)					82,749						831	81,918
Dividends (Distributions) declared ($0.84 in 2014, 0.88 in 2015 and 0.91 in 2016 per common share/ unit)	(240,512)		(240,512)					(240,512)			$ (2,405)	$ (238,107)
Ending balance at Dec. 31, 2016	$ 3,253,228	$ 3,775,336	$ (434,114)	$ (262)	$ 321	$ (92,903)	$ 4,850	$ 3,253,618	$ (92,903)	$ 4,850	$ 33,436	$ 3,308,235
Ending balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2016					320,514						3,204	317,310	292