Effects of Interest Rate Swap and Cap Agreements (Detail) - Cash Flow Hedging - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Derivative Instruments Gain Loss [Line Items]
Amount of gains (losses) recognized in OCI on interest rate swap and cap agreements	$ (3,188)	$ (5,469)
Amount of losses reclassified from accumulated OCI into income	1,265	465
Tax benefit
Derivative Instruments Gain Loss [Line Items]
Amount of gains (losses) recognized in OCI on interest rate swap and cap agreements	2,029	3,482
Amount of losses reclassified from accumulated OCI into income	(805)	(296)
Interest rate swap agreements \| Debt Expense (Including Refinancing Charges)
Derivative Instruments Gain Loss [Line Items]
Amount of gains (losses) recognized in OCI on interest rate swap and cap agreements	0	(692)
Amount of losses reclassified from accumulated OCI into income	0	151
Interest rate cap agreements \| Debt Expense (Including Refinancing Charges)
Derivative Instruments Gain Loss [Line Items]
Amount of gains (losses) recognized in OCI on interest rate swap and cap agreements	(5,217)	(8,259)
Amount of losses reclassified from accumulated OCI into income	$ 2,070	$ 610

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsGainLossLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The effective portion of net gain (loss) reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income into income on derivative instruments designated and qualifying as hedging instruments.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4C
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64837297&loc=SL5624171-113959

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4D
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64837297&loc=SL5624177-113959

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsGainLossReclassifiedFromAccumulatedOCIIntoIncomeEffectivePortionNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The effective portion of gains and losses (net) on derivative instruments designated and qualifying as hedging instruments that was recognized in other comprehensive income during the current period.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsGainLossRecognizedInOtherComprehensiveIncomeEffectivePortionNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsGainLossByHedgingRelationshipAxis=us-gaap_CashFlowHedgingMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis=dva_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefitMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=us-gaap_InterestRateSwapMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis=dva_DebtExpenseMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=us-gaap_InterestRateCapMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: