Mortgage Note Payable Amortization Period

No definition available.

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

- Definition

Amount of liabilities incurred by the acquirer as part of consideration transferred in a business combination.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 30
-Section 25
-Paragraph 5
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6911189&loc=d3e6405-128476

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 30
-Section 30
-Paragraph 7
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6911251&loc=d3e6578-128477

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 30
-Section 30
-Paragraph 8
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6911251&loc=d3e6613-128477

+ Details

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

- Definition

Percentage points added to the reference rate to compute the variable rate on the debt instrument.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentBasisSpreadOnVariableRate1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Face (par) amount of debt instrument at time of issuance.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 55
-Paragraph 8
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64930739&loc=d3e28878-108400

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64930785&loc=d3e28551-108399

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Effective interest rate for the funds borrowed under the debt agreement considering interest compounding and original issue discount or premium.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22(a)(1))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64930785&loc=d3e28551-108399

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateEffectivePercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Contractual interest rate for funds borrowed, under the debt agreement.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

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

- Definition

Date when the debt instrument is scheduled to be fully repaid, in CCYY-MM-DD format.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentMaturityDate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:dateItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Maximum borrowing capacity under the credit facility without consideration of any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed or the amounts currently outstanding under the facility.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityMaximumBorrowingCapacity
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of the required periodic payments of both interest and principal.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of real estate investment property, net of accumulated depreciation, which may include the following: (1) land available-for-sale; (2) land available-for-development; (3) investments in building and building improvements; (4) tenant allowances; (5) developments in-process; (6) rental properties; and (7) other real estate investments.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.1(d))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=mpw_TwoThousandFourteenTermLoansMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_VariableRateAxis=us-gaap_PrimeRateMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_VariableRateAxis=us-gaap_BaseRateMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_VariableRateAxis=mpw_InitialMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_VariableRateAxis=us-gaap_LondonInterbankOfferedRateLIBORMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=us-gaap_MortgagesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=mpw_TermLoansMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Debt - Term Loans - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)		3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Feb. 14, 2011	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Aggregate committed amount of credit facility					$ 1,950,000,000
2014 Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Paid off term loan		$ 125,000,000
Aggregate committed amount of credit facility					$ 250,000,000
Debt instrument, maturity date			Jun. 30, 2019
Interest rate at end of period			2.36%	2.05%
2014 Term Loan [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, basis spread of interest rate			0.60%
2014 Term Loan [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, basis spread of interest rate			1.20%
2014 Term Loan [Member] \| Federal Funds Rate [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, basis spread of interest rate		0.50%	0.50%
2014 Term Loan [Member] \| Eurodollar Rate [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, basis spread of interest rate		1.00%	1.00%
2014 Term Loan [Member] \| Initial Spread [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, basis spread of interest rate			0.65%
2014 Term Loan [Member] \| London Interbank Offered Rate [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, basis spread of interest rate			1.65%
2014 Term Loan [Member] \| London Interbank Offered Rate [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, basis spread of interest rate			1.60%
2014 Term Loan [Member] \| London Interbank Offered Rate [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, basis spread of interest rate			2.20%
Mortgage Loans [Member] \| Northland LTACH Hospital [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, maturity date			Jan. 01, 2018
Liabilities acquired	$ 14,600,000
Amortization period			30 years
Interest rate			6.20%
Collateralized real estate property			$ 16,400,000	$ 16,900,000
Term Loans [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument face amount			$ 13,100,000