Amount of properties closed.

No definition available.

Name:	mpw_AmountOfPropertiesClosed
Namespace Prefix:	mpw_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Business acquisition future payments payable term.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Business acquisition purchase price portion funded by debt.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Business combination equity interest in acquiree fair value.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	mpw_BusinessCombinationEquityInterestInAcquireeFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	mpw_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Combined purchase price and investment amount.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	mpw_CombinedPurchasePriceAndInvestmentAmount
Namespace Prefix:	mpw_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Lease expiration, month and year.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	mpw_LeaseExpirationMonthAndYear
Namespace Prefix:	mpw_
Data Type:	xbrli:gYearMonthItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Number of beds acquired.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Number of facilities closed.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	mpw_NumberOfFacilitiesClosed
Namespace Prefix:	mpw_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number of mortgage facilities.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Number of properties disposed.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

The capitalized costs incurred during the period (excluded from amortization) to purchase, lease or otherwise acquire an unproved property, including costs of lease bonuses and options to purchase or lease properties, the portion of costs applicable to minerals when land including mineral rights is purchased in fee, brokers' fees, recording fees, legal costs, and other costs incurred in acquiring properties.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 932
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-10(c)(7)(ii))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82851474&loc=d3e511914-122862

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 932
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-10(c)(3)(ii)(A))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82851474&loc=d3e511914-122862

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AcquisitionCosts
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
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

Amount of consideration transferred, consisting of acquisition-date fair value of assets transferred by the acquirer, liabilities incurred by the acquirer, and equity interest issued by the acquirer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 30
-Section 30
-Paragraph 8
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116859721&loc=d3e6613-128477

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35744584&loc=d3e6927-128479

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 30
-Section 30
-Paragraph 7
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116859721&loc=d3e6578-128477

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessCombinationConsiderationTransferred1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

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

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (a)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=119202524&loc=SL77919359-209981

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LessorOperatingLeaseTermOfContract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of increase in mortgage loan on real estate by entity with substantial portion of business acquiring and holding investment real estate or interest in real estate, from new investment.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 948
-SubTopic 310
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.12-29(Footnote 6))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6589523&loc=d3e617274-123014

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateNewMortgageLoans
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The number of businesses acquired by the entity during the period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NumberOfBusinessesAcquired
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	srt_ConsolidatedEntitiesAxis=srt_SubsidiariesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=mpw_IASISHealthcareLLCMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MajorPropertyClassAxis=mpw_AcuteCareHospitalMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_StatementGeographicalAxis=country_DE
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_MajorCustomersAxis=mpw_MedianKlinikenSARLMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_StatementGeographicalAxis=mpw_WestVirginiaAndOhioMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_MajorCustomersAxis=mpw_AlectoHealthcareServicesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_StatementGeographicalAxis=stpr_ID
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_MajorCustomersAxis=mpw_StJosephRegionalMedicalCenterMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MajorPropertyClassAxis=mpw_BehavioralHealthCareFacilityMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MajorPropertyClassAxis=mpw_CommunityHealthSystemsIncMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_StatementGeographicalAxis=mpw_FloridaOhioAndPennsylvaniaMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MajorPropertyClassAxis=mpw_RehabilitationHospitalMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LeaseArrangementTypeAxis=mpw_ThirdMasterLeaseMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Real Estate Activities - 2017 Activity - Additional Information (Detail) $ in Thousands, € in Millions							1 Months Ended			3 Months Ended			5 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 17, 2019 USD ($) Hospital	Nov. 29, 2017 EUR (€) Hospital	Sep. 29, 2017 USD ($) Hospital Health_Center	Jun. 22, 2017 EUR (€)	Jun. 01, 2017 USD ($)	May 01, 2017 USD ($) Hospital Bed	Jan. 30, 2017 EUR (€)	Dec. 31, 2016 EUR (€) Property	Jul. 31, 2016 EUR (€) Hospital	Dec. 31, 2018 EUR (€) Hospital	Sep. 30, 2017 EUR (€) Hospital	Jun. 30, 2017 EUR (€) Hospital	Jan. 30, 2017 EUR (€) Hospital	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Aug. 28, 2018
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Amount of mortgage loan														$ 61,712	$ 50,783	$ 717,928
Subsidiaries [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Amount of mortgage loan			$ 700,000
Number of mortgage facilities \| Hospital			2
Equity interest acquired			$ 100,000
Combined purchase price and investment amount			1,500,000
Subsidiaries [Member] \| IASIS Healthcare [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Purchase price of acquisition			$ 700,000
Acute Care Hospital [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of facilities acquired \| Hospital	10
Purchase price of acquisition	$ 700,000
Acute Care Hospital [Member] \| Germany [Member] \| MEDIAN [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Purchase price of acquisition \| €				€ 19.4
Lease agreement, end date				2042-12
Purchase price of acquisition funded \| €				€ 18.6
Remaining payment period				4 years
Acute Care Hospital [Member] \| West Virginia and Ohio [Member] \| Alecto Healthcare Services [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Purchase price of acquisition					$ 40,000
Acute Care Hospital [Member] \| IDAHO, Lewiston \| St. Joseph Regional Medical Center [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Purchase price of acquisition						$ 87,500
Number of beds acquired \| Bed						145
Acute Care Hospital [Member] \| IASIS Healthcare [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of facilities closed \| Hospital			10
Acute Care Hospital [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| IASIS Healthcare [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of facilities acquired \| Hospital			8
Behavioral Health Care Facility [Member] \| IASIS Healthcare [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of facilities closed \| Health_Center			1
Behavioral Health Care Facility [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| IASIS Healthcare [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of facilities acquired \| Health_Center			1
Community Health Systems, Inc. [Member] \| Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of facilities acquired \| Hospital						8
Purchase price of acquisition						$ 301,300
Rehabilitation Hospital with Covenant Health System [Member] \| Germany [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of facilities acquired \| Hospital										4			6
Purchase price of acquisition \| €							€ 8.4			€ 23.0			€ 44.1
Rehabilitation Hospital with Covenant Health System [Member] \| Germany [Member] \| Third Master Lease [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of facilities acquired \| Hospital									20		2	11
Acquisition costs \| €									€ 215.7		€ 39.2	€ 127.0
Number of properties closed \| Property								7
Amount of properties closed \| €								€ 49.5
Rehabilitation Hospital with Covenant Health System [Member] \| Germany [Member] \| MEDIAN [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of facilities acquired \| Hospital		3
Acquisition costs \| €		€ 80.0
Term of lease		27 years															27 years
Lease agreement, end date		2044-11