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, 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, net of tax	(3,772)	(3,772)						(3,772)	(3,772)
Foreign currency translation 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 2019 and $0.27 in 2020 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
Beginning 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
Beginning balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2019			5,176	517,522	512,346								232
Net income	81,157	81,157	$ 810		$ 80,182		80,992				165	165
Cumulative effect of change in accounting principles	(8,399)	(8,399)	(84)		(8,315)		(8,399)
Unrealized loss on interest rate swap, net of tax	(25,103)	(25,103)						(25,103)	(25,103)
Foreign currency translation loss	(23,272)	(23,272)						(23,272)	(23,272)
Stock (Unit) vesting and amortization of stock (unit)-based compensation	10,036	10,036	$ 100	$ 2	$ 9,936	10,034
Stock (Unit) vesting and amortization of stock (unit)-based compensation (shares)			23	2,312	2,289
Distributions to non-controlling interests	(165)	(165)									(165)	(165)
Proceeds from offering (net of offering costs)	61,682	61,682	$ 617	$ 2	$ 61,065	61,680
Proceeds from offering (net of offering costs) (shares)			26	2,601	2,575
Dividends (Distributions) declared ($0.25 in 2019 and $0.27 in 2020 per common share/ unit)	(141,580)	(141,580)	$ (1,416)		$ (140,164)		(141,580)
Ending balance at Mar. 31, 2020	$ 6,982,510	$ 6,982,900	$ 70,966	$ 522	$ 7,023,107	$ 7,079,913	$ 14,025	$ (111,280)	$ (111,280)	$ (777)	$ 107	$ 107
Ending balance (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2020			5,225	522,435	517,210								232