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]	Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjustment [Member]	Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjustment [Member] MPT Operating Partnership, L.P. [Member]	Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjustment [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]	Common Par Value [Member] Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjustment [Member] MPT Operating Partnership, L.P. [Member] Limited Partner [Member]	Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	Retained Earnings (Deficit) [Member]	Retained Earnings (Deficit) [Member] Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjustment [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	(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, net of tax	(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, 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	(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, net of tax	(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					$ 8,996		9,087
Stock (Unit) vesting and amortization of stock (unit)-based compensation (shares)			1				118	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
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2019	$ 7,028,154	$ 7,028,544	$ 70,939	$ (8,399)	$ (8,399)	$ (84)	$ 518	$ 7,020,403	$ (8,315)	7,008,199	83,012	$ (8,399)	(62,905)	(62,905)	(777)	107	107
Beginning balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2019			5,176				517,522	512,346										232
Accounting Standards Update [Extensible List]	us-gaap:AccountingStandardsUpdate201613Member	us-gaap:AccountingStandardsUpdate201613Member
Net income	$ 81,157	$ 81,157	$ 810					$ 80,182			80,992					165	165
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	(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	$ (8,399)	$ (8,399)	$ (84)	$ 518	$ 7,020,403	$ (8,315)	7,008,199	83,012	$ (8,399)	(62,905)	(62,905)	(777)	107	107
Beginning balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2019			5,176				517,522	512,346										232
Net income	322,166	322,166
Unrealized loss on interest rate swap, net of tax	(35,635)	(35,635)
Foreign currency translation gain (loss)	2,886	2,886
Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2020	7,212,877	7,213,267	$ 73,062				$ 536	$ 7,230,623		7,337,155	(33,619)		(95,654)	(95,654)	(777)	5,236	5,236
Ending balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2020			5,356				535,574	530,218										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	(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
Net income	131,357	131,357	$ 1,311					$ 129,795			131,106					251	251
Unrealized loss on interest rate swap, net of tax	(2,624)	(2,624)											(2,624)	(2,624)
Foreign currency translation gain (loss)	19,983	19,983											19,983	19,983
Stock (Unit) vesting and amortization of stock (unit)-based compensation	12,372	12,372	$ 124					$ 12,248		12,372
Stock (Unit) vesting and amortization of stock (unit)-based compensation (shares)			2				188	186
Sale of non-controlling interests	5,073	5,073														5,073	5,073
Distributions to non-controlling interests	(194)	(194)														(194)	(194)
Proceeds from offering (net of offering costs)	124,587	124,587	$ 1,246				$ 7	$ 123,341		124,580
Proceeds from offering (net of offering costs) (shares)			67				6,745	6,678
Dividends (Distributions) declared	(144,954)	(144,954)	$ (1,450)					$ (143,504)			(144,954)
Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2020	$ 7,212,877	$ 7,213,267	$ 73,062				$ 536	$ 7,230,623		$ 7,337,155	$ (33,619)		$ (95,654)	$ (95,654)	$ (777)	$ 5,236	$ 5,236
Ending balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2020			5,356				535,574	530,218										232