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 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 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, 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	156,211	156,211
Unrealized loss on interest rate swap, net of tax	(5,258)	(5,258)
Foreign currency translation gain (loss)	(3,070)	(3,070)
Proceeds from offering (net of offering costs) (shares)				22,600
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
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, net of tax	(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 ($0.25 in 2019 and $0.27 in 2020 per common share/ unit)	(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
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 gain (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
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	190,809	190,809
Unrealized loss on interest rate swap, net of tax	(33,011)	(33,011)
Foreign currency translation gain (loss)	(17,097)	(17,097)
Proceeds from offering (net of offering costs) (shares)				8,600
Ending balance at Jun. 30, 2020	7,067,277	7,067,667	$ 71,831	$ 529	$ 7,108,743	7,200,203	(19,771)	(113,013)	(113,013)	(777)	106	106
Ending balance (in shares) at Jun. 30, 2020			5,287	528,641	523,354								232
Beginning 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
Beginning balance (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2020			5,225	522,435	517,210								232
Net income	109,652	109,652	$ 1,095		$ 108,373		109,468				184	184
Unrealized loss on interest rate swap, net of tax	(7,908)	(7,908)						(7,908)	(7,908)
Foreign currency translation gain (loss)	6,175	6,175						6,175	6,175
Stock (Unit) vesting and amortization of stock (unit)-based compensation	12,192	12,192	$ 122	$ 1	$ 12,070	12,191
Stock (Unit) vesting and amortization of stock (unit)-based compensation (shares)			2	189	187
Distributions to non-controlling interests	(185)	(185)									(185)	(185)
Proceeds from offering (net of offering costs)	108,105	108,105	$ 1,081	$ 6	$ 107,024	108,099
Proceeds from offering (net of offering costs) (shares)			60	6,017	5,957
Dividends (Distributions) declared ($0.25 in 2019 and $0.27 in 2020 per common share/ unit)	(143,264)	(143,264)	$ (1,433)		$ (141,831)		(143,264)
Ending balance at Jun. 30, 2020	$ 7,067,277	$ 7,067,667	$ 71,831	$ 529	$ 7,108,743	$ 7,200,203	$ (19,771)	$ (113,013)	$ (113,013)	$ (777)	$ 106	$ 106
Ending balance (in shares) at Jun. 30, 2020			5,287	528,641	523,354								232