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, 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
Beginning 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 gain (loss)	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)
Distributions to non-controlling interests, net	(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	(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
Treasury units acquired (41,270 units)		(515)	$ (6)		$ (509)
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 on interest rate swap	(3,317)	(3,317)						(3,317)	(3,317)
Foreign currency translation gain (loss)	(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
Redemption of MOP units/common units	(816)	(816)			$ (816)	(816)
Distributions to non-controlling interests, net	(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	(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
Conversion of LTIP units to common units (shares)					60								(60)
Redemption of common units (shares)					(60)
Net income	376,401	376,401	$ 3,746		$ 370,938		374,684				1,717	1,717
Unrealized loss on interest rate swap	(9,033)	(9,033)						(9,033)	(9,033)
Foreign currency translation gain (loss)	4,330	4,330						4,330	4,330
Stock (Unit) vesting and amortization of stock (unit)-based compensation	32,188	32,188	$ 322	$ 2	$ 31,866	32,186
Stock (Unit) vesting and amortization of stock (unit)-based compensation (shares)			15	1,536	1,521
Distributions to non-controlling interests, net	(15,440)	(15,440)									(15,440)	(15,440)
Proceeds from offering (net of offering costs)	2,533,210	2,533,210	$ 25,332	$ 145	$ 2,507,878	2,533,065
Proceeds from offering (net of offering costs) (shares)			1,455	145,349	143,894
Dividends (Distributions) declared	(454,440)	(454,440)	$ (4,545)		$ (449,895)		(454,440)
Ending balance at Dec. 31, 2019	$ 7,028,154	$ 7,028,544	$ 70,939	$ 518	$ 7,020,403	$ 7,008,199	$ 83,012	$ (62,905)	$ (62,905)	$ (777)	$ 107	$ 107
Ending balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2019			5,176	517,522	512,346								232