Consolidated Statements of Equity / Capital - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	Total	MPT Operating Partnership, L.P. [Member]	MPT Operating Partnership, L.P. [Member] General Partner [Member]	Common Par Value [Member]	Common Par Value [Member] MPT Operating Partnership, L.P. [Member] Limited Partner [Member]	Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	Retained Earnings (Deficit) [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss [Member] MPT Operating Partnership, L.P. [Member]	Treasury Shares [Member]	Non-Controlling Interests [Member]	Non-Controlling Interests [Member] MPT Operating Partnership, L.P. [Member]	Long Term Incentive Plan [Member] MPT Operating Partnership, L.P. [Member] Limited Partner [Member]
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2015	$ 2,107,265	$ 2,107,655	$ 21,773	$ 237	$ 2,153,769	$ 2,593,827	$ (418,650)	$ (72,884)	$ (72,884)	$ (262)	$ 4,997	$ 4,997
Beginning balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2015			2,363	236,744	234,381								292
Net income	225,937	225,937	$ 2,251		$ 222,797		225,048				889	889
Unrealized (loss) gain on interest rate swap	2,904	2,904						2,904	2,904
Foreign currency translation (loss) gain	(22,923)	(22,923)						(22,923)	(22,923)
Stock (Unit) vesting and amortization of stock (unit)-based compensation	7,942	7,942	$ 80	$ 1	$ 7,862	7,941
Stock (Unit) vesting and amortization of stock (unit)-based compensation (shares)			10	1,021	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	1,173,651	$ 11,737	$ 83	$ 1,161,914	1,173,568
Proceeds from offering (net of offering costs) (shares)			831	82,749	81,918
Dividends (Distributions) declared ($0.91 in 2016, 0.96 in 2017 and 1.00 in 2018 per common share/ unit)	(240,512)	(240,512)	$ (2,405)		$ (238,107)		(240,512)
Ending balance at Dec. 31, 2016	3,253,228	3,253,618	$ 33,436	$ 321	$ 3,308,235	3,775,336	(434,114)	(92,903)	(92,903)	(262)	4,850	4,850
Ending balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2016			3,204	320,514	317,310								292
Net income	291,238	291,238	$ 2,898		$ 286,895		289,793				1,445	1,445
Sale of non-controlling interests	10,000										10,000
Foreign currency translation (loss) gain	66,854	66,854						66,854	66,854
Stock (Unit) vesting and amortization of stock (unit)-based compensation	9,949	9,949	$ 99		$ 9,850	9,949
Stock (Unit) vesting and amortization of stock (unit)-based compensation (shares)			9	785	776
Treasury shares acquired (41,270 shares)	(515)									(515)
Treasury units acquired (41,270 units)		(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	547,785	$ 5,478	$ 43	$ 542,307	547,742
Proceeds from offering (net of offering costs) (shares)			431	43,125	42,694
Dividends (Distributions) declared ($0.91 in 2016, 0.96 in 2017 and 1.00 in 2018 per common share/ unit)	(341,611)	(341,611)	$ (3,416)		$ (338,195)		(341,611)
Ending balance at Dec. 31, 2017	3,835,205	3,835,595	$ 38,489	$ 364	$ 3,808,583	4,333,027	(485,932)	(26,049)	(26,049)	(777)	14,572	14,572
Ending balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2017			3,644	364,424	360,780								292
Sale of non-controlling interests		10,000										10,000
Net income	1,018,477	1,018,477	$ 10,167		$ 1,006,518		1,016,685				1,792	1,792
Cumulative effect of change in accounting principles	1,938	1,938	19		1,919		1,938
Unrealized (loss) gain on interest rate swap	(3,317)	(3,317)						(3,317)	(3,317)
Foreign currency translation (loss) gain	(28,836)	(28,836)						(28,836)	(28,836)
Stock (Unit) vesting and amortization of stock (unit)-based compensation	16,505	16,505	$ 165	$ 1	$ 16,340	16,504
Stock (Unit) vesting and amortization of stock (unit)-based compensation (shares)			6	599	593
Conversion of LTIP units to common units (shares)					60								(60)
Redemption of common units	(816)	(816)			$ (816)	(816)
Redemption of common units (shares)					(60)
Distributions to non-controlling interests	(2,534)	(2,534)									(2,534)	(2,534)
Proceeds from offering (net of offering costs)	94,239	94,239	$ 942	$ 6	$ 93,297	94,233
Proceeds from offering (net of offering costs) (shares)			56	5,614	5,558
Dividends (Distributions) declared ($0.91 in 2016, 0.96 in 2017 and 1.00 in 2018 per common share/ unit)	(369,923)	(369,923)	$ (3,698)		$ (366,225)		(369,923)
Ending balance at Dec. 31, 2018	$ 4,560,938	$ 4,561,328	$ 46,084	$ 371	$ 4,559,616	$ 4,442,948	$ 162,768	$ (58,202)	$ (58,202)	$ (777)	$ 13,830	$ 13,830
Ending balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2018			3,706	370,637	366,931								232