Average minimum lease rate on development and construction cost.

No definition available.

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

- Definition

Disposal group including discontinued operation loss gain on write down.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Lease extension period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Lease maturity year.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	mpw_LeaseMaturityYear
Namespace Prefix:	mpw_
Data Type:	xbrli:gYearItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Number of facilities expected to sell or re-lease

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	mpw_NumberOfFacilitiesExpectedToSellOrRelease
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 leased properties.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Pre-bankruptcy payment percentage of rent.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	mpw_PrebankruptcyPaymentPercentageOfRent
Namespace Prefix:	mpw_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
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

For an entity that discloses a concentration risk in relation to quantitative amount, which serves as the "benchmark" (or denominator) in the equation, this concept represents the concentration percentage derived from the division.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 275
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 18
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84177426&loc=d3e6351-108592

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 20
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77997519&loc=d3e13531-108611

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 275
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 20
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84177426&loc=d3e6404-108592

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 21
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77997519&loc=d3e13537-108611

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskPercentage1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Sum of the carrying amounts as of the balance sheet date of all 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(h))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

+ Details

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

- Definition

Term of the lessor's leasing arrangement, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LessorLeasingArrangementsOperatingLeasesTermOfContract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Date the plan of reorganization is approved by the bankruptcy court, in CCYY-MM-DD format.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 852
-SubTopic 10
-Section 55
-Paragraph 11
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84165509&loc=d3e56451-112766

+ Details

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

- Definition

Date the plan of reorganization is effective, in CCYY-MM-DD format.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Details

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

- Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis=us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis=mpw_AdeptusHealthMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByBenchmarkAxis=us-gaap_AssetsTotalMember
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_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis=mpw_DeerfieldMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Real Estate and Lending Activities - Adeptus Health - Additional Information (Detail) $ in Millions				9 Months Ended
	Oct. 18, 2017 RenewalOptions	Apr. 04, 2017 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($) Facility
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Gain offset by non-cash charges			$ 0.6
Louisiana [Member] \| Ochsner [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Total budgeted investment		$ 24.5
Gain offset by non-cash charges				$ 0.5
Subsequent Event [Member] \| Louisiana [Member] \| Ochsner [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Term of lease, years	15 years
Average minimum lease rate on development and construction cost	9.20%
Number of lease extension options \| RenewalOptions	3
Term of lease extension, years	5 years
Adeptus Health [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Date plan of reorganization confirmed				Sep. 29, 2017
Date plan of reorganization confirmed effective				Oct. 02, 2017
Number of facilities expected to sell re-lease or sell \| Facility				16
Number of leased properties \| Facility				56
Expected lease maturity year				2019
Adeptus Health [Member] \| Total Gross Assets [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Percentage of Total Gross Assets		5.00%
Adeptus Health [Member] \| Deerfield [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Pre-bankruptcy payment percentage of rent		100.00%