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, 2014	$ 1,382,047	$ 1,765,381	$ (361,330)	$ (262)	$ 172	$ (21,914)		$ 1,382,437	$ (21,914)		$ 14,055	$ 1,390,296
Beginning 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-controllinginterests	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 ($0.88 in 2015, 0.91 in 2016 and 0.96 in 2017 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 ($0.88 in 2015, 0.91 in 2016 and 0.96 in 2017 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
Net income	291,238		289,793				1,445	291,238		1,445	$ 2,898	$ 286,895
Sale of non-controllinginterests	10,000						10,000	10,000		10,000
Foreign currency translation gain (loss)	66,854					66,854		66,854	66,854
Stock (Unit) vesting and amortization of stock (unit)-based compensation	9,949	9,949						9,949			$ 99	$ 9,850
Stock (Unit) vesting and amortization of stock (unit)-based compensation (shares)					785						9	776
Treasury stock acquired (41,270 shares)	(515)			(515)
Treasury stock acquired (41,270 shares)								(515)			$ (6)	$ (509)
Distributions to non-controlling interests	(1,723)						(1,723)	(1,723)		(1,723)
Proceeds from offering (net of offering costs)	547,785	547,742			$ 43			547,785			$ 5,478	$ 542,307
Proceeds from offering (net of offering costs) (shares)					43,125						431	42,694
Dividends (Distributions) declared ($0.88 in 2015, 0.91 in 2016 and 0.96 in 2017 per common share/ unit)	(341,611)		(341,611)					(341,611)			$ (3,416)	$ (338,195)
Ending balance at Dec. 31, 2017	$ 3,835,205	$ 4,333,027	$ (485,932)	$ (777)	$ 364	$ (26,049)	$ 14,572	$ 3,835,595	$ (26,049)	$ 14,572	$ 38,489	$ 3,808,583
Ending balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2017					364,424						3,644	360,780	292