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	(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, 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	939,536	939,536
Foreign currency translation gain (loss)	(24,520)	(24,520)
Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2018	4,486,508	4,486,898	$ 45,261	$ 365	$ 4,478,188	4,343,768	179,703	(50,569)	(50,569)	(777)	14,018	14,018
Ending balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2018			3,648	364,858	361,210								232
Beginning 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
Beginning balance (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2018			3,647	364,695	361,048								232
Net income	112,017	112,017	$ 1,115		$ 110,452		111,567				450	450
Foreign currency translation gain (loss)	(32,392)	(32,392)						(32,392)	(32,392)
Stock (Unit) vesting and amortization of stock (unit)-based compensation	4,869	4,869	49		$ 4,820	4,869
Stock (Unit) vesting and amortization of stock (unit)-based compensation (shares)				36	36
Distributions to non-controlling interests	(638)	(638)									(638)	(638)
Proceeds from offering (net of offering costs)	(43)	(43)			$ (43)	(43)
Dividends (Distributions) declared	(91,547)	(91,547)	(915)		(90,632)		(91,547)
Ending balance at Jun. 30, 2018	3,845,455	3,845,845	$ 38,767	$ 365	$ 3,835,225	4,338,798	(464,784)	(42,353)	(42,353)	(777)	14,206	14,206
Ending balance (in shares) at Jun. 30, 2018			3,647	364,731	361,084								232
Net income	736,476	736,476	$ 7,361		$ 728,673		736,034				442	442
Foreign currency translation gain (loss)	(8,216)	(8,216)						(8,216)	(8,216)
Stock (Unit) vesting and amortization of stock (unit)-based compensation	4,970	4,970	$ 48	$ 127	$ 4,922	4,970
Stock (Unit) vesting and amortization of stock (unit)-based compensation (shares)			1		126
Distributions to non-controlling interests	(630)	(630)									(630)	(630)
Dividends (Distributions) declared	(91,547)	(91,547)	$ (915)		$ (90,632)		(91,547)
Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2018	4,486,508	4,486,898	$ 45,261	$ 365	$ 4,478,188	4,343,768	179,703	(50,569)	(50,569)	(777)	14,018	14,018
Ending balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2018			3,648	364,858	361,210								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	(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
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	246,478	246,478
Unrealized loss on interest rate swap	(20,699)	(20,699)
Foreign currency translation gain (loss)	(11,118)	(11,118)
Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2019	5,986,818	5,987,208	$ 60,666	$ 460	$ 6,003,283	5,972,341	91,535	(90,019)	(90,019)	(777)	13,278	13,278
Ending balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2019			4,598	459,778	455,180								232
Beginning 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
Beginning balance (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2019			3,918	391,839	387,921								232
Net income	79,920	79,920	$ 794		$ 78,644		79,438				482	482
Unrealized loss on interest rate swap	(1,486)	(1,486)						(1,486)	(1,486)
Foreign currency translation gain (loss)	2,848	2,848						2,848	2,848
Stock (Unit) vesting and amortization of stock (unit)-based compensation	6,317	6,317	$ 63		$ 6,254	6,317
Stock (Unit) vesting and amortization of stock (unit)-based compensation (shares)			1	119	118
Distributions to non-controlling interests	(670)	(670)									(670)	(670)
Proceeds from offering (net of offering costs)	45,323	45,323	$ 453	$ 2	$ 44,870	45,321
Proceeds from offering (net of offering costs) (shares)			25	2,467	2,442
Dividends (Distributions) declared	(99,093)	(99,093)	$ (991)		$ (98,102)		(99,093)
Ending balance at Jun. 30, 2019	4,923,635	4,924,025	$ 49,797	$ 394	$ 4,927,292	4,855,310	121,772	(66,530)	(66,530)	(777)	13,466	13,466
Ending balance (in shares) at Jun. 30, 2019			3,944	394,425	390,481								232
Net income	90,267	90,267	$ 898		$ 88,888		89,786				481	481
Unrealized loss on interest rate swap	(15,441)	(15,441)						(15,441)	(15,441)
Foreign currency translation gain (loss)	(8,048)	(8,048)						(8,048)	(8,048)
Stock (Unit) vesting and amortization of stock (unit)-based compensation	9,087	9,087	$ 91	$ 118	$ 8,996	9,087
Stock (Unit) vesting and amortization of stock (unit)-based compensation (shares)			1		117
Distributions to non-controlling interests	(669)	(669)									(669)	(669)
Proceeds from offering (net of offering costs)	1,108,010	1,108,010	$ 11,080	$ 66	$ 1,096,930	1,107,944
Proceeds from offering (net of offering costs) (shares)			653	65,235	64,582
Dividends (Distributions) declared	(120,023)	(120,023)	$ (1,200)		$ (118,823)		(120,023)
Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2019	$ 5,986,818	$ 5,987,208	$ 60,666	$ 460	$ 6,003,283	$ 5,972,341	$ 91,535	$ (90,019)	$ (90,019)	$ (777)	$ 13,278	$ 13,278
Ending balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2019			4,598	459,778	455,180								232