Condensed 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, 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
Beginning balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2017			3,644	364,424	360,780								292
Net income	91,043	91,043	$ 906		$ 89,695		90,601				442	442
Cumulative effect of change in accounting principles	1,938	1,938	19		1,919		1,938
Foreign currency translation gain (loss)	16,088	16,088						16,088	16,088
Stock (Unit) vesting and amortization of stock (unit)-based compensation	1,856	1,856	$ 19	$ 1	$ 1,837	1,855
Stock (Unit) vesting and amortization of stock (unit)-based compensation (shares)			3	271	268
Conversion of LTIP units to common units (shares)					60								(60)
Redemption of MOP units/common units	(816)	(816)			$ (816)	(816)
Redemption of MOP units/common units (shares)					(60)
Distributions to non-controlling interests	(620)	(620)									(620)	(620)
Proceeds from offering (net of offering costs)	(94)	(94)	$ (1)		$ (93)	(94)
Dividends (Distributions) declared ($0.25 in 2018 and $0.25 in 2019 per common share/ unit)	(91,411)	(91,411)	(914)		(90,497)		(91,411)
Ending balance at Mar. 31, 2018	3,853,189	3,853,579	$ 38,518	$ 365	$ 3,810,628	4,333,972	(484,804)	(9,961)	(9,961)	(777)	14,394	14,394
Ending balance (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2018			3,647	364,695	361,048								232
Beginning 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
Beginning balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2018			3,706	370,637	366,931								232
Net income	76,291	76,291	$ 758		$ 75,064		75,822				469	469
Unrealized loss on interest rate swap	(3,772)	(3,772)						(3,772)	(3,772)
Foreign currency translation gain (loss)	(5,918)	(5,918)						(5,918)	(5,918)
Stock (Unit) vesting and amortization of stock (unit)-based compensation	6,715	6,715	$ 68	$ 1	$ 6,647	6,714
Stock (Unit) vesting and amortization of stock (unit)-based compensation (shares)			11	1,055	1,044
Distributions to non-controlling interests	(645)	(645)									(645)	(645)
Proceeds from offering (net of offering costs)	354,030	354,030	$ 3,540	$ 20	$ 350,490	354,010
Proceeds from offering (net of offering costs) (shares)			201	20,147	19,946
Dividends (Distributions) declared ($0.25 in 2018 and $0.25 in 2019 per common share/ unit)	(97,163)	(97,163)	$ (972)		$ (96,191)		(97,163)
Ending balance at Mar. 31, 2019	$ 4,890,476	$ 4,890,866	$ 49,478	$ 392	$ 4,895,626	$ 4,803,672	$ 141,427	$ (67,892)	$ (67,892)	$ (777)	$ 13,654	$ 13,654
Ending balance (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2019			3,918	391,839	387,921								232