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, 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 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				$ 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	322,166	322,166
Unrealized gain (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 gain (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 gain (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
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 gain (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
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	450,096	450,096
Unrealized gain (loss) on interest rate swap, net of tax	28,558	28,558
Foreign currency translation gain (loss)	(47,077)	(47,077)
Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2021	8,358,734	8,359,124	$ 84,312				$ 596	$ 8,339,256		8,541,092	(117,733)		(69,843)	(69,843)	(777)	5,399	5,399
Ending balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2021			5,962				596,145	590,183
Beginning 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
Beginning balance (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2021			5,830				583,109	577,279
Net income	114,821	114,821	$ 1,146					$ 113,419			114,565					256	256
Unrealized gain (loss) on interest rate swap, net of tax	4,207	4,207											4,207	4,207
Foreign currency translation gain (loss)	9,014	9,014											9,014	9,014
Stock (Unit) vesting and amortization of stock (unit)-based compensation	12,771	12,771	$ 128					$ 12,643		12,771
Stock (Unit) vesting and amortization of stock (unit)-based compensation (shares)			2				176	174
Distributions to non-controlling interests	(142)	(142)														(142)	(142)
Proceeds from offering (net of offering costs)	121,333	121,333	$ 1,213				$ 6	$ 120,120		121,327
Proceeds from offering (net of offering costs) (shares)			58				5,679	5,621
Dividends (Distributions) declared	(165,133)	(165,133)	$ (1,651)					$ (163,482)			(165,133)
Ending balance at Jun. 30, 2021	8,217,081	8,217,471	$ 82,732				$ 589	$ 8,182,895		8,387,064	(121,639)		(53,499)	(53,499)	(777)	5,343	5,343
Ending balance (in shares) at Jun. 30, 2021			5,890				588,964	583,074
Net income	171,395	171,395	$ 1,711					$ 169,426			171,137					258	258
Unrealized gain (loss) on interest rate swap, net of tax	8,847	8,847											8,847	8,847
Foreign currency translation gain (loss)	(25,191)	(25,191)											(25,191)	(25,191)
Stock (Unit) vesting and amortization of stock (unit)-based compensation	13,555	13,555	$ 136					$ 13,419		13,555
Stock (Unit) vesting and amortization of stock (unit)-based compensation (shares)			2				218	216
Distributions to non-controlling interests	(202)	(202)														(202)	(202)
Proceeds from offering (net of offering costs)	140,480	140,480	$ 1,405				$ 7	$ 139,075		140,473
Proceeds from offering (net of offering costs) (shares)			70				6,963	6,893
Dividends (Distributions) declared	(167,231)	(167,231)	$ (1,672)					$ (165,559)			(167,231)
Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2021	$ 8,358,734	$ 8,359,124	$ 84,312				$ 596	$ 8,339,256		$ 8,541,092	$ (117,733)		$ (69,843)	$ (69,843)	$ (777)	$ 5,399	$ 5,399
Ending balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2021			5,962				596,145	590,183