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 / Distributions in Excess of Net Income [Member]	Retained Earnings / Distributions in Excess of Net Income [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, 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 (Accounting Standards Update 2016-13) at Dec. 31, 2019				$ (8,399)	$ (8,399)	$ (84)			$ (8,315)			$ (8,399)
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
Unrealized gain (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	(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, 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
Beginning balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2020			5,414				541,419	536,005
Net income	163,880	163,880	$ 1,638					$ 162,145			163,783					97	97
Unrealized gain (loss) on interest rate swap, net of tax	15,504	15,504											15,504	15,504
Foreign currency translation loss	(30,900)	(30,900)											(30,900)	(30,900)
Stock (Unit) vesting and amortization of stock (unit)-based compensation	12,264	12,264	$ 123				$ 2	$ 12,141		12,262
Stock (Unit) vesting and amortization of stock (unit)-based compensation (shares)			17				1,741	1,724
Distributions to non-controlling interests	(193)	(193)														(193)	(193)
Proceeds from offering (net of offering costs)	779,241	779,241	$ 7,792				$ 40	$ 771,449		779,201
Proceeds from offering (net of offering costs) (shares)			399				39,949	39,550
Dividends (Distributions) declared	(163,443)	(163,443)	$ (1,634)					$ (161,809)			(163,443)
Ending balance at Mar. 31, 2021	$ 8,120,210	$ 8,120,600	$ 81,896				$ 583	$ 8,100,195		$ 8,252,966	$ (71,071)		$ (66,720)	$ (66,720)	$ (777)	$ 5,229	$ 5,229
Ending balance (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2021			5,830				583,109	577,279