Visiting Muslim patients is a revival of the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) who commanded the believers to visit the sick (عودوا مرضاكم), and considered it one of the five rights a Muslims should enjoin. The revival of the Prophetic Tradition was mentioned in Hadith.
The Hadith states that whoever revived a neglected tradition that was ignored will reap similar rewards to the person conducting the visit, and both will be rewarded fully.
وعن كثير بن عبد الله هو ابن عمر بن عوف المزني عن أبيه عن جده: أن النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم قال لبلال بن الحرث اعلم قال ما أعلم يا رسول الله! قال اعلم يا بلال قال ما أعلم يا رسول الله ؟ قال من أحيا سنة من سنتي قد أميتت بعدي فإن له من الأجر مثل من عمل بها من غير أن ينقص من أجورهم شيئا ومن ابتدع بدعة ضلالة لا ترضي الله ورسوله كان عليه مثل آثام من عمل بها لا ينقص ذلك من أوزار الناس شيئا
{رواه الترمذي وقال هذا حديث حسن}
The spiritual care visit is different from social visits that do not address the condition of the patient but focus on anything except the patient. The visit is also different from familial visits to parents (صلة الرحم) as they fall under kinship visits
Spiritual care visits are emphasized Tradition (سنة مؤكدة) and Imam Shafi`i considered it fard Kifaya or a collective obligation whenever one performs it, it will be a fulfillment of the obligation of the entire community.
The visit has etiquettes in regards to what to say and what not to say, where to sit, the length of the visit, and the appropriate times for visiting.