The term 'sliding scale' refers to the increasing administration of the pre‐meal insulin dose based on the blood sugar level before the meal.
Insulin therapy aims to manage blood sugar levels to prevent symptoms and the risk of complications from diabetes. The sliding scale is one way to determine how much insulin to take before each meal. Doctors developed it several decades ago as a guide to insulin dosage.
: a flexible scale (as of fees or subsidies) adjusted to the needs or income of individuals.