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, 2017	$ 3,835,205	$ 3,835,595	$ 38,489		$ 1,938	$ 19	$ 364	$ 3,808,583	$ 1,919	$ 4,333,027	$ (485,932)		$ (26,049)	$ (26,049)	$ (777)	$ 14,572	$ 14,572
Beginning balance (Accounting Standards Update 2016-02) at Dec. 31, 2017				$ 1,938								$ 1,938
Beginning balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2017			3,644				364,424	360,780										292
Net income	1,018,477	1,018,477	$ 10,167					$ 1,006,518			1,016,685					1,792	1,792
Unrealized loss on interest rate swap, net of tax	(3,317)	(3,317)											(3,317)	(3,317)
Foreign currency translation gain (loss)	(28,836)	(28,836)											(28,836)	(28,836)
Stock vesting and amortization of stock-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
Conversion of LTIP units to common units (shares)								60										(60)
Redemption of MOP units	(816)	(816)						$ (816)		(816)
Redemption of common units (shares)								(60)
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
Net income	376,401	376,401	$ 3,746					$ 370,938			374,684					1,717	1,717
Unrealized loss on interest rate swap, net of tax	(9,033)	(9,033)											(9,033)	(9,033)
Foreign currency translation gain (loss)	4,330	4,330											4,330	4,330
Stock vesting and amortization of stock-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 (Accounting Standards Update 2016-13) at Dec. 31, 2019				$ (8,399)	$ (8,399)	$ (84)			$ (8,315)			$ (8,399)
Ending balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2019			5,176				517,522	512,346										232
Net income	432,272	432,272	$ 4,315					$ 427,135			431,450					822	822
Unrealized loss on interest rate swap, net of tax	(33,091)	(33,091)											(33,091)	(33,091)
Foreign currency translation gain (loss)	44,672	44,672											44,672	44,672
Stock vesting and amortization of stock-based compensation	47,154	47,154	$ 472				$ 2	$ 46,682		47,152
Stock (Unit) vesting and amortization of stock (unit)-based compensation (shares)			29				2,893	2,864
Sale of non-controlling interests	5,097	5,097														5,097	5,097
Conversion of LTIP units to common units (shares)								232										(232)
Redemption of MOP units	(4,928)	(4,928)						$ (4,928)		(4,928)
Redemption of common units (shares)								(232)
Distributions to non-controlling interests, net	(701)	(701)														(701)	(701)
Proceeds from offering (net of offering costs)	411,101	411,101	$ 4,111				$ 21	$ 406,990		411,080
Proceeds from offering (net of offering costs) (shares)			209				21,004	20,795
Dividends (Distributions) declared	(577,474)	(577,474)	$ (5,776)					$ (571,698)			(577,474)
Ending balance at Dec. 31, 2020	$ 7,343,857	$ 7,344,247	$ 73,977				$ 541	$ 7,316,269		$ 7,461,503	$ (71,411)		$ (51,324)	$ (51,324)	$ (777)	$ 5,325	$ 5,325
Ending balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2020			5,414				541,419	536,005